Addison Barger hit a grand slam and Mexico’s Alejandro Kirk hit a two-run homer as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 on Friday in the first game of the Major League Baseball World Series.
The victory for the Blue Jays (1-0) at the Rogers Centre in Toronto was their first win since they won the World Series in 1993 under the direction of Cito Gaston, who did the ceremonial pitching prior to the start of the game.
Azulejos react and take control
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the first inning with two outs, but left-hander Blake Snell dominated Daulton Varsho to end the threat without allowing a run.
Puerto Rico’s Kiké Hernández hit a solo shot to center field off rookie Trey Yesavage in the second inning, bringing Dominican Teoscar Hernández to the plate with the first run of the World Series for the Dodgers (0-1).
The visitors came back in the third and added their second run on a single to right field by Will Smith, which allowed Mookie Betts to advance to the register.
The Blue Jays tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning when they were able to combine Kirk’s single to right field and Varsho’s home run, which left the field all the way across center field, off Snell’s delivery.
The John Schneider-led side struck again in the sixth inning when they loaded the bases, forcing Snell to leave the mound.
They took advantage of the situation to execute against reliever Emmet Sheehan, whom Ernie Clement received with a hit to the central forest to bring in the tie-breaking run.
Grand slam and home run seal the victory
After Clement’s hit, Nathan Lukes, who came in as a pinch hitter, took a base on balls that allowed Mexico’s Kirk to score.
The attack in the sixth act continued with a run-producing hit by Venezuelan Andres Gimenez, and after one out, Barger, who started the game on the bench, came in to bat for Davis Schneider, and was able to punish reliever Anthony Banda with the first grand slam of his career and first for a pinch hitter in a World Series.
The Blue Jays were not satisfied and continued to punish the Dodgers’ pitching staff, when after a hit by Dominican Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and with two outs, Kirk hit a home run to complete a nine-score offensive explosion in the sixth chapter.
The Dodgers responded with two runs in the seventh on a one-out homer by Japan’s Shohei Ohtani.
Yesavage shines as Dominguez secures win
Yesavage, who at 22 years and 88 days old became the second-youngest pitcher to open the first game in the World Series, completed four innings.
He was hit by four hits and scored two runs, gave up three walks and struck out five, leaving the game 2-2 when he left the mound.
Dominican Seranthony Domínguez (1-0) pitched 1.1 innings of shutout ball, striking out two, to earn the win for the Blue Jays.
Snell (0-1), who had allowed just two runs in 21 innings this postseason, was blasted with five hits in five innings of four strikeouts and took the loss for the Dodgers.
The second game of the best-of-seven World Series will be played this Saturday, again at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
With information from EFE
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