The 2025 World Series opened Friday night at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, hosting Game 1 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, the city’s first Fall Classic since 1993. Los Angeles, pursuing back-to-back titles and a chance to become the first team to repeat since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees, went up against a Toronto squad seeking its first championship since 1993.
The Dodgers starter, Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, took the mound against rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage for the Blue Jays.
Los Angeles struck first in the second inning. Enrique Hernandez singled with one out, and Max Muncy followed, putting runners in scoring position. Will Smith connected for an RBI single, bringing home Muncy and giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Smith later scored Los Angeles' second run after advancing on a Freddie Freeman walk and a single by Mookie Betts.
With the score 2-0, Toronto struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Alejandro Kirk led off with a sharp single, and Daulton Varsho smashed a fastball from Snell to straightaway center field for a two-run homer, tying the game at 2-2. Snell had been virtually untouchable by left-handed hitters this season. Before tonight, he had not allowed a home run to a lefty in 2025, including the postseason. The last lefty to homer off him was Juan Soto on June 2, 2024.
It was Varsho’s third home run of the postseason, adding to the 20 homers he had already smacked in just 71 regular-season games. His aggressive approach, which included a career-high 28% strikeout rate, has resulted in a .548 slugging percentage this season, ninth among MLB players with at least 250 plate appearances.
Snell managed to escape further damage by inducing two flyouts and striking out Toronto’s No. 9 hitter, Andres Gimenez. However, the home run was a costly blow, as it came at the worst possible moment for the Dodgers, allowing the Blue Jays to erase their early advantage.
