A first-inning blitz and a dominant outing by rookie starting pitcher Trey Yesavage put the Toronto Blue Jays within one win of their first World Series title since 1993.
Major League Baseball's only Canadian franchise hammered the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 to give them a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven 'Fall Classic', which now returns to Toronto for its conclusion.
Right-hander Yesavage, who was only called up to the majors in September, threw seven solid innings, with 12 strikeouts - a World Series record for a rookie - and only gave up one run.
The game started in unbelievable fashion at Dodger Stadium as Davis Schneider launched the very first pitch of the night over left field for a home run, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr repeated the feat off the second pitch he faced, leaving the Dodgers 2-0 down before some fans had taken their seats.
While Enrique Hernandez halved the deficit with a solo homer in the bottom of the third inning, Toronto restored their two-run lead straight away as Ernie Clement's sacrifice fly scored Daulton Varsho.
It got even worse for the Dodgers in the top of the seventh as multiple wild pitches and a walk allowed Addison Barger to score, and Bo Bichette drove in Andres Gimenez to make it 5-1.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa's base hit added another run in the eighth as the home fans headed for the exits, on a night when even the Dodgers' Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani went hitless for the second successive game.
After a travel day, the series returns to Toronto on Friday for game six at the Rogers Centre, also the venue for a potential decider on Saturday.
Game 1: Blue Jays 11-4 Dodgers
Game 2: Blue Jays 1-5 Dodgers
Game 3: Dodgers 6-5 Blue Jays
Game 4: Dodgers 2-6 Blue Jays
Game 5: Dodgers 1-6 Blue Jays
Game 6 (in Toronto): Friday, 31 October
Game 7* (if required, in Toronto): Saturday, 1 November
Matches start 20:00 Eastern Time (early next morning UK time), Home team listed first
Trey Yesavage began 2025 in the lowest reaches of the minor leagues, moving up through the Dunedin Blue Jays (Single-A), Vancouver Canadians (High-A), New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A) and Buffalo Bisons (Triple-A), and was called up to the majors in September
Blake Snell has won the Cy Young award for best pitcher in both the American League (2018 with Tampa Bay) and National League (2023 with San Diego) but although he pitched into the seventh inning, gave up five runs on six hits
Basketball legend Magic Johnson threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Dodgers, but the opening inning was a slam dunk for the Blue Jays as they homered on two of the first three pitches they faced