TORONTO — Addison Barger made history by launching the first pinch-hit grand slam ever in World Series play, while Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer in a dominant nine-run sixth inning. The Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in the opening game on Friday night.
“That’s the epitome of our offense,” said Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement, who delivered a crucial tiebreaking single during that big sixth inning. “It’s a collective effort and everybody just doing their job.”
Daulton Varsho sparked Toronto’s comeback after falling behind 2-0 with a two-run home run in the fourth inning off two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. Varsho reflected on facing Snell, saying, “I’ve faced him before plenty of times. He’s obviously dominated me. It’s one of those guys where you’ve got to get your best swing off and whatever happens, happens.”
The power surge was fitting as the Fall Classic returned to Toronto for the first time since 1993 — the year Joe Carter hit a legendary walk-off home run to clinch the title. In a remarkable connection to that night 32 years ago, Varsho’s first name honors Darren Daulton, the Philadelphia Phillies catcher involved during Carter’s iconic moment.
For Los Angeles, Shohei Ohtani hit his first World Series home run — a two-run shot off Braydon Fisher in the seventh inning — during a rally attempt. The heavily favored Dodgers are aiming to become the first back-to-back champions since the New York Yankees’ three-peat from 1998-2000. Despite Ohtani’s efforts, the Dodgers remained nine runs behind when he went deep, marking his fourth homer over two games.
Blue Jays fans expressed their frustration over Ohtani’s decision to leave Toronto for a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. When he stepped to the plate in the ninth, the crowd chanted, “We don’t need you!” “Don’t poke the bear,” Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt warned.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is set for Saturday night at Rogers Centre. Clement praised the home crowd’s energy: “They bring it every night. The last few months, honestly, they’ve been selling this place out and giving us a ton of energy. We’re lucky to have these fans.”
The Dodgers, playing after a week-long break following their National League Championship Series sweep, initially took a 2-0 lead against 22-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage. RBI singles by Kiké Hernández in the second and Will Smith in the third put Los Angeles ahead early.
Yesavage was making only his fourth postseason start—more than his regular-season total—and at 22 years, 88 days old, he became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series opener, trailing only Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca who was 21 years, 267 days old in 1947.
Despite some key pitches, Yesavage struggled with command. He left the bases loaded in the second inning after retiring Ohtani on a groundout, and stranding another runner at third later when he struck out Max Muncy. Seranthony Domínguez picked up the win, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Varsho’s homer was the first home run allowed by Snell to a left-handed batter since Juan Soto hit one for the Yankees on June 2 of the previous year. Snell gave up a career-high five hits on changeups and ultimately allowed five runs, eight hits, and three walks over five-plus innings.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts commented, “Blake just didn’t have good fastball command. There were just a couple bad walks in there.”
Snell was pitching in the World Series for the first time since 2020, when he was removed in the sixth inning of Game 6 while throwing a shutout against the Dodgers. The Dodgers had rallied against Tampa Bay’s bullpen for their first championship since 1988 and are now pursuing their third title in six years.
Toronto came into the series riding the momentum of a seven-game ALCS victory over Seattle that ended on Monday. They collected 14 hits in Game 1, with notable contributions from Bo Bichette and Daulton Varsho. Together with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., they made history as the first trio of sons of former major leaguers to start for the same team in a World Series game.
Bichette, returning from a sprained left knee that kept him out since Sept. 6, played second base for the first time in six years and favored the injured knee throughout the game. He singled in the first inning, made a key defensive play to save a run, and drew a full-count walk from Snell to start the pivotal sixth inning.
That sixth inning turned into a batting showcase, with twelve batters coming to the plate. Clement’s single off reliever Emmet Sheehan gave Toronto a 3-2 lead. Pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes followed with a bases-loaded walk, and Andrés Giménez added an RBI single.
Barger then stepped up to face left-hander Anthony Banda and crushed a 413-foot drive to right-center field, boosting Toronto’s lead to 9-2. “Just a blackout moment. Just crazy,” Barger said. “I was choking up a little bit, just trying to put the ball in the air and get a run in.”
Kirk, who had singled off the right-field wall a pitch before Varsho’s home run, launched his fourth homer of the postseason later in the inning.
“It just felt like we didn’t make the pitches when we needed to to keep that game close,” said Dodgers manager Roberts. “We need to be better.”
Looking ahead to Game 2, Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto will face Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman on Saturday night.
Yamamoto has experience in the Fall Classic, having won Game 2 last year by allowing only one run and one hit over 6 1/3 innings against the Yankees. He is coming off a dominant performance with the first postseason complete game in eight years, pitching a three-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Gausman will be making his World Series debut. Fans can expect another thrilling matchup as the series continues at Rogers Centre.
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/25/g-s1-95069/blue-jays-rout-dodgers-in-world-series-opener