The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday. They now hold a 3-2 series lead, needing just one win to win the third title in franchise history. An October folk hero was cemented on Wednesday, as Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage pitched seven brilliant innings. He told ESPN's Jeff Passan about his reaction to heckling fans during his pre-game bullpen.
“At one point, Yesavage took a breath, stepped off the mound, and turned to pitching coach Pete Walker. ‘This is fun,' Yesavage said. ‘I love this,'” Passan wrote.
Yesavage started the season in A ball, an afterthought in the pitching plan for the 2025 Blue Jays. Since joining the team in September, he has been one of the best pitchers in the postseason. But this was his first road experience in the postseason, leading to some nerves from Toronto fans. There were no nerves in the bullpen, however.
The Blue Jays got three solid starts out of Yesavage in the regular season and have now ridden his electric splitter for four wins in five playoff starts. His season is likely over after a historic Game 5 performance, and his name will forever be entrenched in Toronto sports history.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Kevin Gausman will get the ball for the Dodgers and Blue Jays, respectively. Last time those two squared off, Gausman was solid but nowhere near the brilliance of Yamamoto, who pitched another complete game. The pitching matchup will be key to who wins the World Series, and Yesavage has done his part for the Jays.
Yesavage will be a star for the Blue Jays when the 2026 season begins. He helped them fill their need for a starting pitcher and has done his part to bring Canada a title. He's done it with no fear of the rabid LA fans, either.
