Rain and overcast conditions are expected to persist today and tomorrow

What a night at Rogers Centre! On October 24, 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays exploded for a franchise-shifting 11-2 demolition of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series, sending shockwaves through baseball. The defending champs looked mortal as Toronto's bats came alive in a historic bottom-of-the-sixth inning, highlighted by a pinch-hit grand slam from Addison Barger that turned a close game into a coronation. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. scorching hot and rookie Trey Yesavage baffling L.A.'s stars, the Jays—making their first Fall Classic appearance since 1993—claimed a 1-0 series lead and ignited a nation north of the border. Here's your play-by-play breakdown of the must-see moments, stats, and drama from this Fall Classic opener.

#### Pregame Buzz: Anthems, First Pitch, and Star Power The electric atmosphere kicked off with Voices of Fire belting out the U.S. and Canadian national anthems, setting a cross-border tone for this international showdown. Cito Gaston, the Jays' skipper for their 1992-93 title runs, tossed the ceremonial first pitch to a roaring crowd of 49,000-plus—many waving maple leaf flags in homage to Toronto's last championship glory. Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers' two-way phenom, flashed a grin during warmups, but the real subplot was Bo Bichette's triumphant return: The All-Star second baseman, sidelined since September with a knee injury, slotted in cleanup and looked sharp from the jump. Pitching matchup: Dodgers ace Blake Snell (0.00 ERA in the postseason) vs. Jays rookie Trey Yesavage, whose poise belied his inexperience. Odds had L.A. as -215 favorites, but Toronto's contact-heavy lineup (MLB's lowest playoff K-rate) smelled blood early. #### Early Dodgers Lead: Snell's Escape and L.A.'s RBI Singles (Top 1st–3rd) - **Top 1st: Yesavage Owns Ohtani** – The first pitch of the 2025 World Series? A fastball low and inside to Ohtani—ball one. But Yesavage, Toronto's 23-year-old sensation, settled in quick, fanning the unicorn with high heat on a 1-2 count. The Dodgers went down 1-2-3 on 15 pitches, with Yesavage's slider freezing Mookie Betts. Jays fans chanted "Trey! Trey!" as the kid from Virginia Beach owned the moment. - **Bottom 1st: Guerrero's Walk Sets Tone** – Snell cruised, but Vlad Jr.—slashing .400/.500/.800 this October—worked a patient walk on five pitches. George Springer grounded into a force at second (Mookie Betts bobbled the flip, but only one out), stranding Vlad. Still, it was a sign: Toronto wouldn't go quietly.

- **Top 2nd: Dodgers Draw First Blood (1-0)** – Will Smith ripped an RBI single to center, scoring Teoscar Hernández after a leadoff walk and stolen base. Yesavage (now at 25 pitches) induced a double play to limit damage, but L.A. had the edge. - **Top 3rd: Another Run, Snell Settles (2-0)** – Hernández again sparked with a single, moving to third on a wild pitch. Max Muncy grounded in the run, and Snell escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half by fanning Andrés Giménez and getting twin flyouts. At the stretch, Dodgers led 2-0, but Yesavage had whiffed 71 pitches through three—efficient, if a tad high. #### Momentum Flip: Varsho's Bomb Ties It (Bottom 4th) Enter the fireworks. With two down and runners at the corners, Daulton Varsho—acquired in the controversial 2023 D-backs trade—crushed a 98 mph fastball from Snell into the second deck in left-center. His two-run homer (only the second run Snell allowed in 25 postseason innings) knotted it at 2-2. The Rogers Centre erupted; Varsho rounded the bases mobbed by teammates, flipping his helmet in joy. Snell's fastball command faltered (first earned runs of October), and the game screamed "new ballgame." Yesavage? He handed off after four strong innings (80 pitches, 3 H, 2 R), earning a no-decision but etching his name in lore. #### Blue Jays Eruption: The Sixth-Inning Massacre (Bottom 6th) This is why we love October. Trailing 2-1 entering the frame, Toronto loaded the bases on three straight singles off Dodgers reliever Emmet Sheehan—including a bloop from Vlad Jr. Manager John Schneider, the Jays' lifer (drafted in 2002), pinch-hit for the slumping Davis Schneider with outfielder Addison Barger. The move? Genius. - **Barger's Pinch-Hit Grand Slam (6-2 Jays)** – On a 1-1 slider, Barger launched a 420-foot bomb to right-center, his first career postseason hit turning into a game-breaker. The stadium shook; fireworks exploded post-touchdown. Barger's trot was pure elation—his first WS at-bat, a grand salami. "John Schneider pushing all the right buttons!" tweeted analysts. - **Guerrero's Single and Kirk's Two-Run Shot (11-2 Jays)** – Vlad Jr. followed with a center-field single, then Alejandro Kirk—batting .277 vs. 97+ mph heat—belted a two-run homer to center off lefty J.P. Banda. That's 12 hits in the inning alone before Varsho flied out to mercifully end it. Toronto's throwback offense (high contact, low Ks) overwhelmed L.A.'s thin 'pen (missing Alex Vesia), scoring nine runs on seven batters. Sheehan lasted seven pitches; Roberts burned through three arms in 20 minutes. #### Late Lockdown: Dominguez, Hoffman Seal the Deal The Dodgers sputtered in the 7th–9th, mustering a hit off Jays setup man Seranthony Domínguez (four up, four down on 13 pitches). Louis Varland and closer Jeff Hoffman (ALCS hero) mopped up, with Hoffman fanning Enrique Hernández for the final out. Final: Blue Jays 11, Dodgers 2. Toronto's 13 hits (all but one for extra bases) vs. L.A.'s six summed up the rout. Attendance: 49,282. Time: 3:12. #### Key Stats and Standouts - **Jays' Firepower**: 11 runs on 13 hits, 5 HRs (team record for a WS game). Vlad Jr.: 2-for-4, BB, R. Varsho/Kirk: 1 HR each. Barger: 1-for-1, 4 RBI. Yesavage: 4 IP, 2 ER, 5 K. - **Dodgers' Woes**: 2 runs on 6 hits. Ohtani: 0-for-4, 2 K (iced by Yesavage). Snell: 4 IP, 2 ER, but the 'pen imploded (9 ER in 2.1 IP). L.A.'s 9-1 playoff streak? Snapped. - **Fun Nuggets**: First WS game in Canada since 1993 (Jays' last win). Barger's slam: 3rd pinch-hit grand slam in WS history. Viewership: 14.2M U.S. (FOX), 6M Canada (Sportsnet record). #### What's Next? Game 2 Vibes Toronto's 1-0 edge shifts to Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. a TBD Jays arm on October 25 (8 p.m. ET, FOX). Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called it a "wake-up," while Schneider beamed: "This is our house." With Ohtani due for a bounce-back and Guerrero's heater (.400 October slash), expect fireworks. The 2025 Fall Classic just got way more Canadian—eh?