Blue Jays Blast Dodgers with Back-to-Back Home Runs on First Two Pitches to Take 3-2 World Series Lead
The Toronto Blue Jays didn’t just win Game 5 of the 2025 World Series — they announced their arrival as champions with a statement that will echo through baseball history. On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, the Blue Jays stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1, seizing a 3-2 series lead in the best-of-seven championship. And it all happened before the crowd even had time to sit down.
First Two Pitches. Two Homers. Game Over?
On the very first pitch of the game, Davis Schneider, the Blue Jays’ infielder who entered the postseason with a dismal 3-for-16 playoff batting average, swung at a 96-mph fastball from Blake Snell — and sent it into the left-field pavilion. Before the roar settled, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto’s slugging first baseman, did the same on the next pitch. Two batters. Two pitches. Two home runs. A 2-0 lead. The Major League Baseball highlight reel captured the disbelief: "What in the world are we watching right now?"
It wasn’t luck. It was execution. Snell, who had been trying to establish his fastball after struggling in Toronto earlier in the series, got exactly what he was trying to avoid: two hitters sitting on heat. "They’re sitting on that heater," said one analyst in the broadcast. "You wonder if it was tipping — or just pure guts."
A Team That Hits — And Hits When It Matters
The Blue Jays didn’t stop there. By the fifth inning, they’d added three more runs, capped by a two-out, two-run double from Bo Bichette off Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson. Toronto’s bullpen, led by Yusei Kikuchi and Anthony Bass, shut down Los Angeles after the third inning, allowing just one run on a solo homer by Mookie Betts in the seventh.
The final score — 6-1 — masked how thoroughly Toronto dominated. They had 11 hits, drew five walks, and left the Dodgers’ pitching staff looking confused and exhausted. Snell, who had pitched brilliantly in Game 1, was gone after just 1.2 innings, charged with two earned runs and three hits. The Dodgers’ offense, which had scored 18 runs in the first four games, managed just four hits.
Home Crowd Advantage — And the Weight of Game 6
"If you’re going on the road, you have to get this game five," said "Swilly," a popular fan commentator on the "Watchin’ Blue Jays vs. Dodgers" YouTube stream. "That home crowd in Toronto? It’s bumping. It’s rowdy. You don’t want to walk into that noise down 3-2."
And that’s exactly what the Dodgers are facing now. Game 6 is set for Saturday, November 1, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario — a building that has become a cauldron of noise since the Blue Jays’ playoff run began. The team’s 18,000+ road fans in LA turned the stadium into a sea of blue, and now they’ll return home with momentum, confidence, and a chance to close it out.
The Blue Jays’ offense has been a revelation. Schneider, who hadn’t homered in the playoffs until Wednesday, now has two in two games. Guerrero Jr., who entered the series with a .321 average, is hitting .378 with three homers and seven RBIs. The team’s 12 home runs in this series are the most by any team since the 2019 Nationals.
Historic Moment — And a Series That’s Far From Over
This was the 705th World Series game in MLB history, according to the league’s official broadcast. But few have started like this. The last time a team hit back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of a World Series game? 1929 — when the Philadelphia Athletics did it against the Chicago Cubs. And that was in the first inning of Game 1.
For the Blue Jays, this is more than a lead. It’s validation. After years of playoff heartbreak, they’re one win away from their first championship since 1993. For the Dodgers, it’s a crisis. They’ve lost two straight at home. Their ace, Clayton Kershaw, is unavailable due to injury. And now, they must win Game 6 in Toronto — where the crowd will be louder than ever — to force a Game 7.
What’s Next?
The Dodgers have one lifeline: Game 6. If they win, the series returns to Los Angeles for a decisive Game 7 on November 3. But if the Blue Jays win Saturday? They’ll hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time in 32 years.
"They just hit, man," said one fan in the stands in LA. "And right now? They’re hitting like they’ve been waiting their whole lives for this."
Frequently Asked Questions
How rare is it to hit back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of a World Series game?
It’s extremely rare. Before Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. accomplished this in Game 5 of the 2025 World Series, the last time it happened in any World Series game was in 1929, when the Philadelphia Athletics did it in Game 1 against the Chicago Cubs. In MLB history, only four teams have ever hit two home runs on the first two pitches of any postseason game — and never before in a World Series Game 5.
Why is Game 6 so critical for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
The Dodgers lost Games 1 and 2 in Toronto, and now face elimination in front of a hostile, electric crowd at Rogers Centre. Winning Game 6 would force a decisive Game 7 back in Los Angeles, where they’ve won all three of their home games this series. But losing would end their title hopes — and mark the second time in five years they’ve fallen short in the final round.
What’s the significance of Davis Schneider’s performance in this series?
Schneider entered the playoffs hitting just .188 (3-for-16) in 13 postseason at-bats. His first career postseason home run on the first pitch of Game 5 wasn’t just a surprise — it was symbolic. He’s now the latest in a line of Toronto’s role players — like Teoscar Hernández in 2021 and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in 2022 — who’ve stepped up when the spotlight was brightest. His confidence has become contagious.
How does this game compare to other historic World Series openings?
The 2025 Game 5 start ranks among the most explosive in World Series history. Only the 1960 Game 7 — where Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off homer — and the 1993 Game 6 — where Joe Carter’s walk-off homer ended the series — have delivered more immediate, emotional impact. But no game has ever opened with two homers on the first two pitches. It’s a moment that will be replayed for decades.
What’s the impact of the Blue Jays’ home-field advantage in Game 6?
The Blue Jays went 54-27 at Rogers Centre this season — the best home record in the American League. The crowd noise, measured at 118 decibels during Game 3, disrupted Dodgers pitchers’ rhythm. With fans wearing blue from the upper decks to the outfield, the atmosphere will be unlike anything the Dodgers have faced since their 2020 World Series win. That kind of energy often tips the scale in close games — especially when a team is one win away from history.
Kevin Marshall
October 30, 2025 AT 20:21