4 Takeaways From the Blue Jays' World Series Game 5 Win Over the Dodgers

This World Series was always Goliath vs. Goliath — as straightforward as the two best teams standing. And now the Blue Jays are one win from proving to be the best.

Led by Trey Yesavage’s legendary 12-strikeout performance, the Blue Jays took control of Wednesday's decisive Game 5 at the Chavez Ravine. They now head back to Canada with a 3-2 advantage in the World Series, with only 27 more outs separating them from winning their first championship in 32 years.

Here are my takeaways:

(Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Before people even settled into their seats, the Blue Jays took an impressive 2-0 lead.

Think about all the talented hitters that have united for a top-of-the-order tandem in the Fall Classic. Pete Rose and Joe Morgan leading off for the Big Red Machine dynasty. George Springer and Alex Bregman for the 2017 Astros. Rickey Henderson and Carney Lansford for the 1989 Oakland A’s. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts for the 2024 Dodgers.

Now consider this: Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first players to hit back-to-back home runs to lead off a game in World Series history when they took Blake Snell deep in the first inning of Game 5. It was an ambush. 

Snell didn’t have time to collect himself after Schneider became the fifth player to hit the first pitch of a World Series game for a home run, joining Derek Jeter (Game 4, 2000), Alcides Escobar (Game 1, 2015, inside-the-park), Chris Taylor (Game 1, 2017), and Jorge Soler (Game 1, 2021). 

Trey Yesavage was filthy, lights out, electric, and, ultimately, untouchable. The Blue Jays’ brilliant prodigy perplexed the Dodgers lineup from the moment he delivered his first pitch. Yesavage had four consecutive strikeouts by the end of