The Toronto Blue Jays rode Trey Yesavage’s dominant Game 5 performance to a 3-2 World Series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Veteran righty Kevin Gausman took the mound for Toronto on Friday as the Blue Jays look to clinch the series and win their first championship since 1993.

Much of the focus for Game 6 has been on Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, Gausman got off to a stunning start against LA. The two-time All-Star set the tone early by striking out Shohei Ohtani to begin the game.

But Gausman didn’t stop there. The Blue Jays’ hurler struck out the side in the first frame. Of Gausman’s 16 first-inning pitches, 11 were splitters: “Eight generated swings. Seven of them were whiffs,” per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Kevin Gausman racks up 8 Ks in 1st three innings of Game 6

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) throws pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning for game six of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
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Gausman fanned Ohtani, Will Smith, and Freddie Freeman in the first inning, and all three went down swinging. The 13th-year veteran stayed hot in the second. After retiring Mookie Betts on a groundout, Gausman K’d Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy to end the inning. He had five swinging strikeouts in his first two frames.

Of course, the Dodgers can never be counted out. Los Angeles’ lineup is too talented to go down without a fight. After striking out Kike Hernandez to start the third inning, Gausman ran into trouble. The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead on a Will Smith RBI double and Betts’ two-run single.

Despite the rocky third inning, Gausman ultimately stuck out the side. He already has eight Ks in three innings – six were swinging strikeouts.

The last time Gausman and Yamamoto squared off, in Game 2, the pair made World Series history as the only starters in the Fall Classic to each retire 17+ straight batters.

Gausman got off to a rocky start in Game 2 but settled in and sat down 17 straight Dodgers. However, Yamamoto came out on top, allowing just one run in a complete game as the Blue Jays lost 5-1.