On the brink of elimination after getting dominated in all facets – Dodgers Digest

With the World Series knotted up at two games apiece, crowning the champion of baseball would essentially come down to a three-game sprint. As such, Game 5 is usually an absolutely pivotal moment in determining the eventual winner.

Things kicked off with a system shock as the Blue Jays got back-to-back homers leading off the game, and things didn’t really get much better, as the offense continued to get absolutely dominated and the Blue Jays tacked on insurance runs. Not unlike most of the series, the Dodgers were simply outplayed by the Blue Jays in all facets in a 6-1 loss.

Backs are against the wall now.

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For the Dodgers, it was Blake Snell, who had his first hiccup of the playoffs in Game 1. He struggled to put Blue Jays hitters away as they basically ground him to death and then took full advantage of the pen.

Today, things started out as poorly as possible, as Davis Schneider ambushed a first-pitch fastball and hit it out to left. Then after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took one fastball for a strike, he hit the next fastball in the same location out to left as well to make it back-to-back jacks and give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead right away.

WELCOME TO GAME 5

DAVIS SCHNEIDER GOES YARD ON THE VERY FIRST PITCH ? pic.twitter.com/TcUzv2CrUX

— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025

OH MY GOODNESS ?

VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. GOES BACK-TO-BACK pic.twitter.com/YcRe3bvRVY

— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025

Snell then got his first out on a strikeout before giving up a single to Alejandro Kirk. He then seemed to get Daulton Varsho to ground into a 4-6-3 double play, but on review Varsho beat the turn to the bag. No matter, as Will Smith then threw Varsho out trying to steal second to end the inning, this one holding up on review.

The 2nd was better as he gave up just a one-out single to Addison Barger and took just 11 pitches to get through the frame. However, he labored a bit more in the 3rd, getting a strikeout on a full count before issuing a walk to Vlad. Bo Bichette then hit a double-play ball to Mookie Betts, but he threw inaccurately to Tommy Edman and they were only able to get one out.

Mookie with an inaccurate throw to 2nd and the Dodgers aren’t able to turn two. pic.twitter.com/1iiLqRb5g2

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

That led to seven more pitches, but he did eventually get a strikeout to post another zero.

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In Game 1, Trey Yesavage struggled mightily with his command as he labored throughout his start, but he made big pitches when he needed to and prevented the Dodgers from truly breaking out. That’s likely where the game changed despite the eventual blowout score for the Blue Jays.

For this game, he looked much better right off the bat, retiring the first seven batters he faced and striking out five of them on just 33 pitches. That streak ended when Enrique Hernandez worked a 2-1 count in the 3rd and promptly got a fastball over the plate that he didn’t miss for a homer to left.

MR. OCTOBER. #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/lEnUDDuSfL

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 30, 2025

That cut the deficit to 2-1, but Yesavage rebounded fine, getting the next two batters to end the 3rd.

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Unfortunately, any momentum from that didn’t last long.

Starting the 4th, Daulton Varsho hooked a curve to right, which should’ve been a single. Unfortunately, Teoscar Hernandez gambled for whatever reason and couldn’t corral the hit on a bounce, leading to a triple instead.

While @Ken_Rosenthal was talking with John Schneider about Davis Schneider, George Springer, and more, Daulton Varsho hit a triple! pic.twitter.com/ioFkRRLFct

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Ernie Clement followed with a sac fly to center and the two-run lead was restored at 3-1.

Ernie Clement drives in Daulton Varsho to extend the @BlueJays lead in Game 5 ? pic.twitter.com/FgcC2MgmWi

— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025

Barger followed with a walk, but back-to-back strikeouts got Snell through the 4th, so basically Teoscar’s gamble cost the Dodgers a run.

Snell started the 5th with a lead-off walk to Schneider, but then got Vlad to bounce back to him for a double play, and ended up facing the minimum in the inning. He then got his first 1-2-3 frame in the 6th, though he was already at 92 pitches.

Regardless, he continued in the 7th and Barger chopped a single to left against the shift. He got to second on a wild pitch, before Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to short, which kept him there. Andres Gimenez then worked a full-count walk to put a pair on, and another wild pitch got Barger to third. However, Snell locked in and got a full-count strikeout against Schneider for the second out.

That was the end of his night: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 116 Pitches.

Blake Snell emptied the tank, throwing 116 pitches in 6.2 innings tonight

?: #WorldSeries on FOX pic.twitter.com/R2wV82o7p4

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Dave Roberts turned to Edgardo Henriquez against Vladdy, and he ended up walking him on yet another wild pitch that scored Barger to make it 4-1.

Oh wow… The 3-2 pitch is wild and the Blue Jays come in for another run! ? pic.twitter.com/xMzaXTXyiY

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Bo Bichette then followed with a single to drive in another run and corner the runners again, as the Blue Jays extended the lead to 5-1.

Bo Bichette makes it 5-1 @BlueJays in Game 5!

?: #WorldSeries on FOX pic.twitter.com/KhKTrM1cRo

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Alejandro Kirk followed by walking, which loaded the bases and Henriquez exited without retiring a batter and having allowed both inherited runners to score.

Anthony Banda was next out of the pen, and he got a groundout to finally end the 7th without even more damage.

It seemed bleak before, but it was truly over at that point.

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Back to the other side, Yesavage started the 4th with back-to-back strikeouts as he continued to dominate. But after getting ahead of Freddie Freeman with an 0-2 count, he spiked a slider and hit him. Teoscar followed by rolling an infield single up the middle and suddenly a pair was on, but Tommy Edman did what the Dodgers have been doing in those situation, which is pop-up harmlessly.

Trey Yesavage gets out of the jam to keep the @BlueJays in front 3-1 through four innings

?: #WorldSeries on FOX pic.twitter.com/K65i2Svazr

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Story of the series for the lineup so far.

Yeah.

[image or embed]

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 3:23 PM

He then came right back with another pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame in the 5th, giving him a whopping 10. In the 6th, Shohei Ohtani hit a 117 MPH missile to right, but Barger came up with the diving catch, and Yesavage then got yet another strikeout and then a groundout to make it back-to-back clean innings.

DIVING CATCH BY ADDISON BARGER!

?: #WorldSeries on FOX pic.twitter.com/Hpaar9EiSl

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Yesavage continued in the 7th as he was at just 89 pitches, and all he did was notch his 12th strikeout to start, then after giving up a swinging bunt single to Teoscar he got Edman to bounce into a double play.

“A World Series masterpiece!”

Take a bow, Trey Yesavage. pic.twitter.com/eNhi3kcxaz

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

Completely dominated.

HISTORY: Trey Yesavage’s 12th strikeout of the night breaks the rookie record for Ks in a #WorldSeries game! pic.twitter.com/OxpgPT0Ug9

— MLB (@MLB) October 30, 2025

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Anyway, to add insult to injury, Banda was left in for the 8th and the Blue Jays tacked on insurance. Clement started with a single, advanced to second on yet another wild pitch, got to third on a groundout, and scored on a Kiner-Falefa single to make it 6-1.

IKF makes it 6-1 @BlueJays!

?: #WorldSeries on FOX pic.twitter.com/jfHsC5L27y

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

After a flyout, Kiner-Falefa stole second, but Banda got a pop-up to end the 8th.

To complete the humiliation ritual, Blake Treinen entered in the 9th and finally got outs in a clean inning. What a time for it.

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For the Blue Jays pen, Seranthony Dominguez started in the 8th. He got the first two batters before issuing a walk to Alex Call, but he got Shohei to groundout (at 99 MPH) on the first pitch to end the inning.

🤣 Vlad Jr. slapped the base to get Ohtani out at 1st. pic.twitter.com/Ad1bOkh8Q8

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

After eight, the tale of the contact tape looked hilariously one-sided:

Not gonna do it. #Analysis

[image or embed]

— Chad Moriyama (@chadmoriyama.bsky.social) October 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM

It was Jeff Hoffman in the 9th, and he gave up a lead-off single, but nothing else.

BALLGAME!

The @BlueJays are ONE win away from a world championship! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/F8TJ9HRAKc

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2025

All I got.

Yamamoto could truly invoke Hershiser in Game 6, and once you get to Game 7, nothing really matters.

If they were playing better, I wouldn’t be negative, but they haven’t given a ton of reason for optimism. https://t.co/l6r4Txq0Wh

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) October 30, 2025

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The World Series deadlock is now broken in favor of the Blue Jays three games to two. The Dodgers have been pushed to the edge of elimination and now must win back-to-back games on the road if they want the trophy.

There will be a day off to breathe as both teams travel back to Toronto, where the next game will still be at 2:00 PM HT/5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET on FOX. It’ll be another rematch, this time of Game 2, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking to dominate again versus Kevin Gausman on the other side.