The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 (box score) on Friday night in Game 1 of the World Series. The Dodgers struck first and the two sides eventually entered the bottom of the sixth tied, but the Blue Jays scored nine runs behind a history-making Addison Barger grand slam and turn a tight contest into a boat race.
The Blue Jays now lead the best-of-seven series by a 1-0 margin.
Here are four takeaways from Game 1 worth knowing:
1. Blue Jays' offense goes off in historic fashion
As noted in the introduction, the Blue Jays had an eventful bottom of the sixth inning, plating nine runs in what was the most productive offensive inning in the World Series since 1968.
Six consecutive Blue Jays reached base to begin the frame. Bo Bichette walked, Alejandro Kirk singled, and Daulton Varsho reached on a hit by pitch. Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, and Andrés Giménez then each plated a run with a knock or walk to bring the Toronto lead to 5-2. That set the table for Addison Barger to bat for Davis Schneider and provide the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history:
The Blue Jays still weren't done at that point. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled and Alejandro Kirk homered, extending the lead to 11-2. For as good as the Dodgers offense is, even they weren't up for the task of closing that gap over three innings.
2. Dodgers' bullpen, rotation dependency burns them
Throughout the postseason, the Dodgers have been able to leverage their strong rotation as a shield against overexposing their leaky bullpen. That formula had worked throughout the Dodgers' empathetic series wins against the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Milwaukee Brewers. Indeed, the Dodgers had seen their starters work at least six innings in eight of 10 contests.
Understandably, manager Dave Roberts tried to push Blake Snell through the sixth inning in Game 1. It didn't work. Snell instead created a mess by issuing a walk, allowing a single, and then hitting a batter. At that point, Roberts went to the bullpen, calling upon youngster Emmet Sheehan. As the above subhead suggests, things moved south quickly. By the time the half-inning concluded, the Dodgers were down 11-2, making the game's outcome a fait accompli.
The question now for the Dodgers is whether Snell's misstep will prove to be a one-off, or if it's a sign that their rotation has been overworked throughout the month. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will do his part to provide an answer on Saturday night.
3. Bichette returns, also makes history
Bo Bichette rejoined the Blue Jays lineup for the first time since September 6, when he injured his knee. Bichette was back in his usual cleanup slot, albeit while playing an unusual position. For the first time in his big-league career, he received the nod at second base (as opposed to his customary shortstop).
"Just kind of how he was moving around and his comfort level with it," manager John Schneider explained before Game 1. "He was pretty open with me about just, Hey, I can do this if need be, both with -- in terms of kind of taking little bit of the physicality of the game off of him and looking at what (Giménez) is doing at short too."
"Yeah, I mean, I think every part of this is a challenge, but I think it would be even if I had been playing," Bichette added. "The World Series is a different animal. Luckily, I've had a lot of time in my life at second base, so I have some experience there. I mean, I feel ready to contribute there."
In turn, Bichette made a slew of history. He, Daulton Varsho, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first trio of former players' sons to start in the World Series for a single team. (Varsho, by the way, became the first lefty batter to homer off Snell since June of 2024.) Additionally, Bichette was the fourth player to make his first career start at a fielding position in the postseason. Here are others:
|
Jon Berti | 2024 ALDS G2 | 1B |
Carlos Santana | 2016 WS G3 | LF |
Jake Flowers | 1931 WS G2 | 3B |
Bichette went 1 for 2 with a walk before being lifted for pinch-running Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
4. Game 2 up next
The Blue Jays and Dodgers will reconvene Saturday night for Game 2. Same place, same time. The Blue Jays will attempt to build a 2-0 advantage before the series shifts to Los Angeles. Historically, MLB teams that lead 2-0 in a best-of-seven series have won said series more than 80% of the time. Coincidentally, these Blue Jays defeated those overwhelming odds as part of their ALCS win.
