Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage holds down Dodgers for 4 innings in historic World Series start

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TORONTO (AP) — Standout rookie starter Trey Yesavage didn't have his best stuff but limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs over four innings for the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night. Toronto rallied for an 11-4 win.

The 22-year-old Yesavage was making just his seventh major league appearance. He became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series opener behind Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca, who was 21 years, 267 days old for Game 1 in 1947 at Yankee Stadium.

“It was an insane experience that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Yesavage said. “I wish personally I could have done a little bit better, but that’s why this is a team sport, and we have nine other guys on the field.”

Yesavage's best pitch during a breakout postseason has been his splitter, but he used it sparingly against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. Just 10 of his 80 pitchers were splitters, and he instead leaned on his slider while allowing five hits, striking out five and walking three. His fastball velocity was down nearly 1 mph from his usual average.

“Didn’t have as much of a feel for it as I have in previous starts,” he said of the splitter, adding that with five righties in Los Angeles' lineup, he thought the slider would be more effective.

Left-hander Mason Fluharty replaced Yesavage to begin the fifth with Ohtani and the top of the Dodgers' order due up.

It was Yesavage's fourth postseason start after just three regular-season outings. A first-round draft pick in 2024 who made his major league debut at Tampa Bay on Sept. 15, he became only the second pitcher to make a World Series start that raised his postseason start total above his regular-season career total, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Yesavage opened the game by striking out Ohtani, then retired Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on grounders.

The right-hander walked the leadoff batters in the second and third innings, leading to two runs. Kiké Hernández hit an RBI single in the second, one of three straight singles, but Yesavage escaped a bases-loaded jam by striking out Andy Pages and getting Ohtani to ground out.

Will Smith made it 2-0 with an RBI single in the third, but Freeman got caught in a rundown on Smith’s hit. Smith advanced to third on Teoscar Hernández’s grounder before Yesavage struck out Max Muncy to end the inning, the first of three straight swinging strikeouts for Yesavage.

Selected 20th overall in last year’s amateur draft from East Carolina University, Yesavage is the youngest player in this year’s World Series. He began the season at Class A Dunedin, was promoted to High-A Vancouver on May 20, then Double-A New Hampshire on June 12 and Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 12.

Yesavage went 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three starts in September, striking out 16 in 14 innings. He beat the Yankees with 5 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings in Game 2 of the Division Series as he struck out 11, a franchise postseason record. He lost Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against Seattle when he allowed five runs in four innings, then won Game 6 on Sunday when he gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Yesavage has challenged hitters with an unusual arm angle. His 69% release angle is highest among right-handers in the postseason — 90% is over the top and zero is sidearm.

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