The Toronto Blue Jays went into the 2025 World Series as the underdog. The Los Angeles Dodgers had won the World Series the year before over the New York Yankees, and the general impression was the Dodgers had the overall skill set to defend their title.
On Friday night at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, the Blue Jays simply exceeded expectations. They pounded the Dodgers 11-4 in the first game of the 2025 World Series to take the early one game lead in the best out of seven series.
Three Blue Jays recorded home runs in the seven-run win. They were Daulton Varsho, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger. The home run that will be remembered most will be Barger’s. That is because he hit a grand slam and became the first player in Major League Baseball history to ever hit a pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history.
It was also a strong game for Kirk. He led the Blue Jays with three runs scored and three hits.
Game two will be in Toronto on Saturday night. The Blue Jays will start Kevin Gausman on the mound. The Dodgers will counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This was the first time since 1993 that the Blue Jays won a World Series game. They defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 8-6 in game six on a dramatic three-run home run by Joe Carter.