The Los Angeles Dodgers returned to Toronto and defeated the Blue Jays 14-2. The game was described as an underwhelming epilogue to their World Series matchup.
Echoes of the World Series
The atmosphere in Toronto still felt like October. The weather was similar to five months prior, during an unforgettable ballgame. Many people wore coats, gloves, scarfs and Jays caps. A bar near the stadium had a sign reading “We Run October.” The Rogers Centre dome was closed.
The focus ahead of the game was on World Series 2025 Game 7. Miguel Rojas and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were major topics of conversation, despite not starting on Monday. Toronto’s John Schneider and L.A.’s Dave Roberts tried to downplay the significance of the rematch. The ghosts of November, however, were too significant to ignore.
Schneider said beforehand, “A few short months ago, it was bedlam in here. So, looking forward to it.”
Roberts remarked, “I don’t feel as much anxiousness as I did the last time, understandably so.”
Dodgers’ Decisive Victory
The game itself was a 14-2 Dodgers victory. It lacked any real drama.
Roberts said his anxiety level was much lower than in October, going from a 10 to a one. Toronto did not resemble the team from the previous autumn. Max Scherzer started for the Jays but only lasted two innings due to forearm tendinitis. The Dodgers’ offense took advantage of the Blue Jays’ pitching.
The Dodgers had 17 hits and five homers. Dalton Rushing hit two home runs. Tyler Heineman, a Jays catcher, pitched in the ninth.
Blue Jays’ Struggles
The Blue Jays’ offense struggled. They managed only four hits before the ninth. They failed to capitalise on four walks from Justin Wrobleski, the Dodgers starter. The Blue Jays’ performance led to visible frustration, with Roberts removing his starters in the seventh. By the time Miguel Rojas entered the game in the ninth, the remaining fans had little energy to boo.
A Familiar Disappointment
The evening turned into a circus. There was something familiar about the game.
Scherzer started for Toronto, just like in Game 7. Teoscar Hernández hit a home run off Scherzer in the first inning. This was met with cheers from the Dodgers’ dugout and disappointment from the home crowd.