Toronto Blue Jays Take Early Lead With Record Sixth-Inning in World Series Opener

The Toronto Blue Jays stunned the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers with an 11-4 victory in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Centre, propelled by a historic nine-run sixth inning. Rookie Addison Barger made history by hitting the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, while Alejandro Kirk added a crucial two-run homer during the rally. The pivotal sixth inning saw 12 Blue Jays batters come to the plate, overturning a 2-2 tie and putting the Dodgers in a deep hole. Dodgers starter Blake Snell struggled, giving up five runs over five-plus innings and exiting after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth. Toronto’s Daulton Varsho also contributed with a two-run homer in the fourth to help tie the game early, and the crowd at Rogers Centre witnessed an electrifying return of the Fall Classic to Toronto for the first time since 1993. Despite Shohei Ohtani's two-run homer for the Dodgers later in the game, the Blue Jays' collective offensive effort and strong pitching set the tone for the series, with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday night at Rogers Centre.