TORONTO (AP) — Addison Barger made World Series history on Friday night by delivering the first-ever pinch-hit grand slam, while Alejandro Kirk contributed a two-run homer as part of a massive nine-run sixth inning for the Toronto Blue Jays. This explosive performance led the Blue Jays to an 11-4 victory over the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the series opener.
“That’s the essence of our team’s offense,” remarked Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement, whose timely single in the sixth inning broke the tie. “It’s all about teamwork and everyone contributing to the cause.”
The Blue Jays began their comeback from a 2-0 disadvantage when Daulton Varsho smashed a two-run homer in the fourth inning against Blake Snell, the Dodgers’ ace and two-time Cy Young Award recipient.
“I’ve faced Snell plenty of times and he’s often gotten the better of me,” Varsho shared. “He’s a tough pitcher, so you just have to put your best swing on it and see what happens.”
The power-hitting spectacle was a fitting return for the World Series to Toronto, a city that last hosted the event in 1993. It was then that Joe Carter famously hit a walk-off home run to seal the championship. In a nostalgic twist, Varsho is named after Darren Daulton, the Philadelphia Phillies catcher who caught for Mitch Williams when Carter hit his iconic homer.
Meanwhile, for the Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani hit his first World Series home run as Los Angeles aimed to become the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees achieved three consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000. Trailing by nine runs, Ohtani launched a two-run shot in the seventh inning off Braydon Fisher, marking his fourth homer in just two games.
Fans angry Ohtani spurned the Blue Jays to sign a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 chanted: “We don’t need you!” when he came to the plate in the ninth.
“They bring it every night,” Clement said. “The last few months, honestly, they’ve been selling this place out and giving us a ton of energy. We’re lucky to have these fans.”
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is at Rogers Centre on Saturday night.
Playing after a one-week layoff following its National League Championship Series sweep, Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead against 22-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage on RBI singles by Kiké Hernández in the second and Will Smith in the third.
Yesavage made his fourth postseason start — one more than his regular-season career total. At 22 years, 88 days old he became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series opener behind Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca at 21 years, 267 days in 1947 at Yankee Stadium.
Yesavage made some key pitches during his four innings, leaving the bases loaded in the second by retiring Ohtani on a groundout and stranding a runner at third the next inning when he struck out Max Muncy.
Seranthony Domínguez got the win with 1 1/3 hitless innings.
Varsho’s homer was the first off Snell by a left-handed hitter since Juan Soto connected for the Yankees on June 2 last year. Snell gave up a career-high five hits on changeups and allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in five-plus innings.
“Blake just didn’t have good fastball command,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There were just a couple bad walks in there.”
Snell pitched in the Series for the first time since 2020 with Tampa Bay, when he was removed in the sixth inning of Game 6 while pitching a shutout against the Dodgers. Los Angeles rallied against the Rays’ bullpen for its first championship since 1988.
Now the Dodgers are chasing their third title in six years.
Coming off a seven-game ALCS against Seattle that ended Monday, Toronto got 14 hits and key contributions from Bo Bichette and Varsho, who combined with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to become the first trio of sons of former major leaguers to start for one team in a Series game.
Returning from a sprained left knee that had sidelined him since Sept. 6, Bichette played second base for the first time in six years and favored the knee. He singled in the first, ranged to the left side of the infield to field a grounder and save a run, then with the score 2-2 drew a full-count walk from Snell starting the sixth.
Twelve batters went to the plate in the inning. Clement singled off reliever Emmet Sheehan for a 3-2 lead, pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes drew a bases-loaded walk and Andrés Giménez added an RBI single.
Barger greeted left-hander Anthony Banda with a 413-foot drive to right-center on a hanging slider to put Toronto ahead 9-2.
“Just a blackout moment. Just crazy,” Barger said. “I was choking up a little bit, just trying to put the ball in the air and get a run in.”
Kirk, who singled off the right-field wall a pitch before Varsho’s homer, added his fourth home run of the postseason.
“We just didn’t make pitches when we need to to keep that game close,” Roberts said. “We need to be better.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman start Saturday night. Yamamoto won Game 2 of the Series last year, allowing one run and one hit over 6 1/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees and is coming off the first postseason complete game in eight years, a three-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. Gausman will be making his Series debut.
