The Toronto Blue Jays are one win away from a World Series title.
After Wednesday’s thrilling 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Jays are coming home with a chance to wrap up the series in Game 6 on Friday at the Rogers Centre.
Standing in their way will be the one Dodgers’ starter they haven’t been able to crack in Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto tossed a complete game, four-hitter in a 5-1 win in Game 2. He struck out eight and did not allow a hit past the fourth inning. It was the second-straight complete game for the 27-year-old righty, after he tossed nine innings of three-hit ball in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Speaking on TSN’s First Up on Thursday morning, ESPN’s Buster Olney says Yamamoto could be the player who turns the tide as Los Angeles tries to stave off elimination.
“I think Yamamoto could be the great equalizer in this series and put the Dodgers on his back. He’s that good,” Olney said. “There’s a reason the Dodgers made him the highest-paid pitcher in the history of baseball.
“[The Blue Jays] know they’re going to be facing a great pitcher and a lot of players who have accomplished a lot of things. They are in a great position going home up 3-2, but the series is not over.”
Toronto reached this point thanks to rookie starter Trey Yesavage’s Game 5 heroics. The 22-year-old righty was nearly perfect on Wednesday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits while setting a World Series rookie record with 12 strikeouts.
It was only Yesavage’s eighth major-league start after he began the season in Class A.
“He was phenomenal. What jumps out is his calm demeanour. Very even-keeled, like he’s been doing it for 10 years. He’s got the joy in his face, but also absolute composure. He was in absolute control from the beginning,” said Olney.
“The Dodgers’ hope last night was that he was going to make mistakes, and he was not doing that.”
Heading into Game 6, the Jays will once again need to determine the health of George Springer. The designated hitter missed Games 4 and 5 due to an oblique strain. However, it did look like the former World Series MVP was ready to pinch run for Bo Bichette late in Wednesday’s game.
Springer has been working out prior to each game and Olney believes there’s a chance he could be in the lineup for Game 6 on Friday.
“I think there’s a chance. John Schneider said that he was surprised by the way Springer looked. Schneider is telling us that, physically, he’s bounced back better than they thought,” Olney said. “If they thought that Springer couldn’t give them anything, they could replace him on the roster. But they haven’t. With a player like that with his World Series experience, you’re going to give him every chance to help you out.
“Seeing him in the dugout last night, I think there is a chance for him to play in Game 6.”
