TORONTO — Blue Jays fans waited 32 years to celebrate a World Series home run at home — and they got to do it three times on Friday night.
Addison Barger made history by launching the first pinch-hit grand slam in Fall Classic history. Alejandro Kirk followed with a two-run homer during a nine-run sixth inning, helping Toronto overwhelm the defending champion Dodgers 11-4 in the Series opener.
“Just madness,” Barger said of the third-highest-scoring inning in World Series annals.
Daulton Varsho, who battled injuries during the season limiting him to 71 games, sparked Toronto’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit with a two-run homer in the fourth off two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
The home run barrage was fitting as the Fall Classic returned to Toronto for the first time since 1993, when Joe Carter famously hit a walk-off homer to clinch the title. In an unusual nod to that night, Varsho is named after Darren Daulton — the Philadelphia Phillies catcher Mitch Williams was throwing to when Carter connected.
“It’s kind of a surreal moment, kind of being full circle for me,” Varsho said. “Yeah, it’s honestly an honor to be named after him.”
On the Dodgers side, Shohei Ohtani hit his first World Series home run. The heavily favored Dodgers, seeking to become the first repeat champions since the Yankees’ three-peat from 1998-2000, were already trailing by nine when Ohtani blasted a two-run shot off Braydon Fisher in the seventh inning. That marked his fourth home run in two postseason games.
Fans upset that Ohtani chose the Dodgers over the Blue Jays by signing a $700 million contract in December 2023 chanted “We don’t need you!” when he came to bat in the ninth.
“Don’t poke the bear,” Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt joked.
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Game 1 winners have claimed 23 of the last 27 World Series titles, setting the stage for Saturday night’s Game 2 at Rogers Centre.
The Dodgers, playing after a week off following their National League Championship Series sweep, opened the scoring with RBI singles by Kiké Hernández in the second and Will Smith in the third against 22-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage.
Yesavage, making his fourth postseason start — one more than his regular season total — became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series opener at 22 years and 88 days old, behind only Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca, who was 21 years and 267 days in 1947.
The young right-hander lasted four innings before leaving to a loud crowd of 44,353 fans. Despite loading the bases in the second, Yesavage managed to retire Ohtani on a groundout and stranded a runner at third in the third inning with a strikeout of Max Muncy.
“It was an insane experience that I’ll remember the rest of my life,” said Yesavage, whose first start this season was in front of just 327 fans for Class-A Dunedin.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts called the second inning “the turning point in the game, even though it was early. If you want to win you need to cash it in.”
Seranthony Domínguez earned the win by pitching 1 1/3 hitless innings in relief.
Varsho’s homer off Snell was notable as it was the first by a left-handed hitter against the pitcher since Juan Soto did so for the Yankees on June 2 last year.
Snell gave up a career-high five hits on changeups and was charged with five runs, eight hits, and three walks over five-plus innings.
“There’s no excuses. I need to be better. I need to throw strikes,” Snell said. This was Snell’s first postseason appearance since 2020, when he pitched for Tampa Bay and was removed while throwing a shutout in Game 6 against the Dodgers.
Los Angeles had rallied against the Rays bullpen to win its first championship since 1988. Now, the Dodgers chase their third World Series crown in six years.
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Coming off a seven-game ALCS against Seattle that ended Monday, Toronto showcased 14 hits with key contributions from Bo Bichette and Varsho. Along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., they became the first trio of sons of former major leaguers to start for one team in a World Series game.
Bichette, returning from a sprained left knee that had sidelined him since September 6, played second base for the first time in six years. He singled in the first inning, made a crucial defensive play to save a run, and drew a full-count walk from Snell in the sixth inning when the score was tied 2-2.
The sixth inning saw twelve batters come to the plate. Ernie Clement singled off reliever Emmet Sheehan to take a 3-2 lead. Pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes followed with a bases-loaded walk, and Andrés Giménez added an RBI single.
Barger, alerted that he might pinch hit, prepared by practicing swings on a Trajekt machine mimicking Sheehan’s pitches. When the Dodgers brought in left-hander Anthony Banda, Barger hit a 413-foot drive to right-center, putting Toronto ahead 9-2.
Interestingly, Barger had spent the previous night sleeping on teammate Davis Schneider’s pullout couch because he needed his own apartment for family attending the Series.
“I looked over and I just see him sleeping there in the middle of the night,” Schneider said. “He’s a head case, but he’s funny.”
Kirk, who singled off the right-field wall a pitch before Varsho’s homer, capped the outburst with his fourth postseason home run and third hit of the game.
“You’ve got to just flush it,” Banda said. “Get ready for tomorrow.”
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Up next:
Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman are set to start Saturday night’s Game 2.
Yamamoto won Game 2 of last year’s World Series, allowing one run and one hit over 6 1/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees. He is coming off the first postseason complete game in eight years, a three-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
Gausman will make his World Series debut.
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With a thrilling opener behind them, both teams will look to gain momentum as the series continues at the Rogers Centre. Fans can expect more high-stakes baseball as Toronto aims to take advantage of home-field and build on their historic offensive outburst.
https://abc7.com/post/world-series-yoshinobu-yamamoto-set-start-dodgers-game-2/18070348/