Griffin Floyd
The Toronto Blue Jays crushed the Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series on Friday, Oct. 24, crushing three home runs and putting together a nine-run rally in the sixth inning to blow the doors off Los Angeles in front of a roaring crowd at the Rogers Centre.
The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead early, but Toronto got to Los Angeles starter Blake Snell during his second trip through the lineup, ultimately chasing him from the game with the bases loaded in the sixth — allowing them to feast on the Dodgers’ shaky bullpen.
Shohei Ohtani hit a seventh inning home run, but it wasn’t anywhere near enough for the Dodgers to mount a comeback. Here are the winners and losers from Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
Winner: Addison Barger
Utility man Addison Barger entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning with one out and the bases loaded. The Dodgers countered with fellow left-hander Anthony Banda in order to gain a matchup advantage.
Barger worked a 2-1 count, watching Banda spike two sliders before leaving one up in the zone — a pitch he crushed 106.2 miles per hour toward right-center for the first pinch-hit grand slam in the 120 year history of the World Series. From there, the rout was on, Toronto leading 9-2.
After giving his team a lead that looked all-but-insurmountable, Barger stayed on as a defensive replacement and added a single in the eighth inning
Winner: Alejandro Kirk
Catcher Alejandro Kirk went 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk, starting a fourth inning rally that tied the game as he singled off Dodgers’ starter Blake Snell, setting up a two-run home run from Daulton Varsho. The veteran backstop also called a masterful game, helping to keep rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage composed after allowing runs in the second and third innings against the Dodgers’ mighty lineup.
Much of Toronto’s success this postseason has stemmed from top of the lineup bats like George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. When the Blue Jays are getting positive contributions from guys like Kirk, they seem unstoppable.
Loser: Dodgers Bullpen
Blake Snell didn’t do his relievers any favors, loading the bases with no outs in the sixth inning before getting pulled from the game. Even so, the game went from a 2-2 tie to an 11-2 onslaught under the watch of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Emmet Sheehan allowed three straight baserunners to push the score to 5-2, then Anthony Banda entered and immediately gave up a grand slam. He also allowed a two-run bomb to Alejandro Kirk.
The bullpen is this Dodgers’ team’s only real weakness, forcing manager Dave Roberts to gamble with leaving his starting pitchers in the game longer than he should — Snell is just the latest example — or to overuse closer Roki Sasaki, one of his only reliable options. Struggling relievers have sunk many a postseason run, and the Dodgers’ $350 million roster could turn into the latest example.
Loser: Freddie Freeman
Winner of last year’s World Series MVP award, Freddie Freeman has had a postseason to forget this year. The veteran first baseman is slashing .214/.327/.381 with one home run and 11 strikeouts this October and Friday night was more of the same.
Although Freeman drew a third inning walk, he went 0-for-3 and was thrown out stretching at third during his only time on the basepaths, helping the Blue Jays wriggle out of a brewing rally.
