LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Dodgers will try to keep their hopes alive for their first back-to-back World Series championships Friday in Toronto, with history against them.
The Toronto Blue Jays' 6-1 victory in Game 5 Wednesday at Dodger Stadium gave them a three games to two Series lead. Of the 46 teams winning Game 5 of a Series that had been tied at two games a piece in the best-of-seven format, 31 went on to win the Series, 67.4%.
Friday's game will be the Dodgers' first time facing postseason elimination since Game 5 of a National League Division Series on Oct. 11, 2024, when Yoshinobu Yamamoto and four relievers combined on a two-hitter in a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The pitching matchup for Game 6 Friday will be a rematch of Game 2 with Yamamoto pitching against fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman.
Yamamoto pitched a four-hitter in Saturday in the World Series' first complete game since 2015 as the Dodgers won 5-1.
Game 7, if necessary, would be Saturday in Toronto.
Dodger manager Dave Roberts said his team's hitters have "got to make some adjustments," in Game 6, after going a combined 10-for-61 -- for a .164 batting average -- and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in their last two games, both losses.
"We have been in a lot of elimination games, and we found a way to come to ... get to the other side. I expect Yamamoto to throw well, but we still got to take good at-bats and catch the baseball, convert outs.
"If we play a good clean game, I feel good about our chances."
ESPN Analytics' Matchup Predictor gives the Dodgers a 52.9% chance of winning, the Blue Jays a 47.1% chance.
On Wednesday, Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit the first back-to-back to begin a World Series game and right-hander Trey Yesavage set a rookie World Series record with 12 strikeouts and limited the Dodgers to three hits over seven innings.
Schneider hit the first pitch from Blake Snell (3-2 in the postseason) 373 feet over the left field fence. Two pitches later, Guerrero hit a four- seam fastball from Snell 394 feet over the left field fence.
The previous rookie World Series strikeout record was 11 set by Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 1 of the 1949 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Yesavage (3-1) retired the first seven batters he faced, striking out the last five, then allowed a solo home run to Kiké Hernández with one out in the third.
The other hits off Yesavage were infield singles by Teoscar Hernández in the fourth and seventh innings.
Toronto had runners on first and third with one out in the seventh after a leadoff single by Addison Barger, a wild pitch by Snell, a walk to Andrés Giménez and a wild pitch while Schneider was batting.
Snell completed his strikeout of Schneider two pitches later for the second out, then was relieved by rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez after throwing 116 pitches, his most in a game since 2022.