Well, Game 1 of the 2025 MLB World Series is in the books, and if you read my previous post it was an unexpected opening chapter to the story. The hosting Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 thanks to a 9-run 6th inning that featured the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history (Addison Barger).

While I have no dog in this fight, I’m always rooting for a long, competitive series and so the Blue Jays winning Game 1 at home is a good step in that direction. It doesn’t mean they will win the series, it’s certainly no guarantee they will keep hitting the way they did in Game 1, and it doesn’t mean a team like the Dodgers (as loaded as they are) couldn’t just go on and win the next 4 and certainly can still go on to win the series, but the Blue Jays winning Game 1 almost certainly means a sweep (4-0) isn’t in order. That is, unless, the Blue Jays prove to be the sweeping, broom-wielding team but I don’t see that happening. Many thought an entirely plausible outcome was for the Dodgers to sweep the Blue Jays, like they did the Brewers, but obviously that outcome is now off the table.

A couple things of note last night, linked to my previous post:

One, while the Dodgers do have the decided advantage in starting pitching, it is hard to sustain the level of excellence they were experiencing on the mound without a hiccup here and there and last night was Blake Snell’s hiccup. The guy was 3-0 with an ERA under 1 coming into the night. Hard to be down on him after last night’s performance, which wasn’t awful, just showed he’s human. The Dodgers bullpen (never a strong suit this season, until Sasaki started to bolster the back end of that pen in the playoffs) couldn’t put out the fire Snell kindled when called upon and here we are. The Dodgers continue to show their embarrassment of riches by tossing out RHP Yamamoto tonight as their starter, who is 2-1 with an ERA under 2 for the playoffs, but the Blue Jays Gausman (also 2-1, with an ERA right at 2) is solid and should Toronto be able to sneak out another win at home and eat even further into the Dodgers bullpen things could get wild.

Speaking of wild – the second thing of note, connected to my previous post – the Toronto home crowd was on nice display last night, also, and I think deserves credit. Indeed, the Dodgers were the heavy favorites coming into the night, and indeed have the All-Star roster and juggernaut vibes but they’re still human and everyone (even that experienced Dodgers lineup) gets a bit tighter as the stakes rise and a raucous, domed crowd like the one in Toronto does affect even the best of players and visiting teams. Again, they deserve credit for sensing the opening with Varsho’s initial tying 2-R home run off Snell in the 4th, and then kicking the door open with their energy and volume once the nutty 6th inning rolled around where it seemed like the Blue Jays had the bases loaded forever.

Also, lastly, hats off to Toronto for weathering the early 2-0 deficit. With the way the game started it did feel like maybe there was a machine-like, inevitability to this Dodgers team and the wheels could’ve easily come off. Instead, the Blue Jays escaped a bases loaded jam in the second inning including getting Ohtani to ground out to end the inning and again, here we are now, as a result. Really fun.

One more thing – the Dodgers were 41-40 on the road this season. The Blue Jays (I believe, but am not certain) had the best home record at 54-27. That’s not nothing. What is something is that the Dodgers overall record in the regular season was 93-69 and the Blue Jays was 94-68. Both teams won their division but that single game difference in record is what awarded the Blue Jays home field advantage and that really could prove to be a factor in the outcome. 

Excited for Game 2 tonight.