World Series Preview: Snell Looking for Rebound Start Against Blue Jays

LOS ANGELES, CA—After historic performances by Shohei Ohtani and the dramatic 18-inning walk-off home run by Freddie Freeman in Game Three, the Los Angeles Dodgers went down with a whimper in Game Four, drawing the World Series even at 2-2.

Now, the series will head back to Toronto for at least one more day, but before that, the Dodgers will host their final game at Chavez Ravine, looking to take a 3-2 series lead with left-hander Blake Snell on the mound.

It has been a back-and-forth contest between the Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, with each team trading wins with elite pitching, clutch bullpen performances, and, for the Jays, an elite offense that scored 11 runs in Game One and six more in Game Four.

Now, the best-of-seven series turns into a best-of-three with home-field advantage reverting back to the Blue Jays’ favor.

Despite this, the Dodgers still have the starting pitching advantage with Blake Snell taking the mound in Game Five and Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to pitch in Game Six.

Still, not much of that pitching can work if the offense continues its cold spell, as over their last 20 innings, the team has only managed to score three runs.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted that the lineup for Game Five would look different than the first several games of the postseason, which likely means Andy Pages’ spot is gone.

But who he replaces and in what order he does so are the following topics the team will have to plan out.

However, as third baseman Max Muncy stated, the goal is simple: it’s a one-game series here tomorrow, and the Dodgers need to win Game Five, as trying to win two games in Toronto will be challenging.

Pitching Probables

Blake Snell (LHP) (3-1, 2.42 ERA) vs Trey Yesavage (2-1, 4.26 ERA)

On the mound for Los Angeles with his second crack at the Blue Jays offense is left-hander Blake Snell, who is looking to rebound from his subpar Game One performance.

Snell, for the first time this postseason, was unable to complete six innings for the Dodgers and allowed five earned runs on eight hits, forcing the Dodgers’ bullpen to enter the game earlier than they have since Game Three of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The problem for Snell during that game was essentially his inconsistent fastball command, which led Blue Jays hitters not to bite on his offspeed pitches.

Snell admitted this, and while he wouldn’t reveal too much about his upcoming game plan for Game Five, he expects a much better performance.

“I’m thankful for the first start and what I was able to learn and how much better I got from that,” said Snell, who gave up five runs in five-plus innings in Game One. “Beyond excited that I have another opportunity to really display the kind of pitcher that I am and that I’m striving to be.”

On the mound for the Blue Jays will be rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage, who will be making just his eighth Major League start with the series tied 2-2.

The Jays have entrusted Yesavage with all of October after giving him the Game One start in the World Series, but the Dodgers forced the Jays’ hand, getting him out of the game by the fourth inning.

The game plan against Yesavage for the Dodgers worked well through the first four innings of the game, chasing the right-hander, who allowed two runs on four hits and three walks.

However, Los Angeles was unable to pad their early lead, letting the Jays work their way back and eventually drop a crooked number on their bullpen.

Yesavage, who started the season in Single-A, now has an opportunity to pitch the Blue Jays to within one win of a World Series title, and he’ll get the challenge of not only the Dodgers but the Dodger Stadium crowd in his first road start of this postseason.

Who to Watch

My player to watch is one guy who needs to step up if the Dodgers are going to win two more games and become the first back-to-back champion in over 25 years, and that is shortstop Mookie Betts.

So far this series, through the first four games, Betts has been held to just three hits over his first 19 at-bats, and when he does make contact with the baseball, there is just too much weak contact.

The Blue Jays’ plan of attack for the Dodgers’ offense revolves around how Betts performs. If he continues to struggle, they will keep walking Ohtani and facing him, so Betts has to be the one to produce, and so far this series, he has not.

Look for Betts and the entire Dodgers offense to have a much better game plan against rookie starter Trey Yesavage; if not, this series won’t last much longer.

Where to Watch

The 2025 World Series will be aired exclusively on FOX and the Fox Sports App at 5:00 PM PT (8:00 PM ET)

Betting Odds

The Dodgers and Blue Jays aim to break the 2-2 series tie and move one win closer to a championship when the game starts at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, live from Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are the favorites with a -205 moneyline, while the Blue Jays are at +169. Los Angeles is also favored on the run line at -1.5. The game’s total runs are expected to be around 8.

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