World Series Game 1 live updates: Dodgers lead Blue Jays 1-0 in second inning

Huge moment in this game in the top of the second.

Kiké Hernández got a slider over the middle and laced it into center for an RBI single. The Dodgers lead 1-0 and still have two runners on with one out.

After a walk, a fielder’s choice and a Max Muncy single, the Dodgers have runners on first and second with one out. Kiké Hernández is at the plate.

Using Kevin Gausman in relief in ALCS Game 7 against the Mariners gave the Jays their first tough rotation call of the postseason in Game 1 of the World Series: pitch Gausman, the Game 1 starter in both the ALDS and ALCS, on three days’ rest or give 22-year-old Trey Yesavage his first traditional start on four days’ rest.

While four days’ rest has been the norm for MLB starters for decades, some teams shy away from it now, particularly with their youngest pitchers. Yesavage, who is in his first pro season after typically starting once per week in college, worked a few times on four days’ rest in the minors, but he never threw more than 73 pitches on any of those occasions. He technically did make his first MLB start on four days’ rest, but the Jays set him up for that by having him throw just 34 pitches over three innings in his final Triple-A outing. His postseason starts thus far have come on seven, seven and five days’ rest, respectively.

What’s more, the Game 1 assignment also leaves Yesavage due to start Game 5 on four days’ rest. The Jays surely would have preferred to use him in Games 2 and 6, which would have put him on five days’ rest because of off days after Games 2 and 5. Now it’s Gausman, who will go in Game 2, who will benefit from the little extra time off.

Fortunately, Yesavage, who entered tonight having thrown 34 more innings this year than he did in his final season at East Carolina, hasn’t shown any sign of fatigue just yet.

After Alejando Kirk walked, Daulton Varsho hit a harmless fly ball to center and Blake Snell escaped a bases-loaded first inning without allowing any runs. Snell did throw 29 pitches, however, which is good news for a Blue Jays team that would love to get into the Dodgers’ bullpen.

Playing in his first game since early September, Bo Bichette just hit a single that moved Vlad Guerrero to third. First and third for the Blue Jays with two outs.

Vlad Guerrero Jr. has walked with two outs in the bottom of the first.

Great first inning for Trey Yesavage, who retired the Dodgers in order on 15 pitches.

How’s this for the first batter Yesavage faced? He struck out Shohei Ohtani.

The first pitch of the 2025 World Series is a fastball low and inside to Shohei Ohtani for a ball.

A three-time Cy Young winner, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw announced earlier this year he would retire at the end of this season.

After missing last year’s World Series run due to injury, Kershaw is on this year’s roster for the championship round. He has made only one appearance in the playoffs so far, throwing two innings and allowing five runs (four earned) against the Phillies.

In his postseason career, Kershaw is 13-13 in 40 appearances (32 starts), with a 4.63 ERA and 213 strikeouts.

Although the nature of starting pitching has changed considerably in the playoffs, both the Dodgers and Blue Jays could need their starters to go extended innings during the World Series.

So far this postseason, both Los Angeles and Toronto have struggled when going to the bullpen. The Dodgers’ pen has a 4.48 ERA in the playoffs, while the Blue Jays have been over a run worse with a 5.52 ERA.

With both teams hitting the cover off the ball — especially the Blue Jays, who’ve hit 20 homers in the postseason — starting pitching could play a major role in a way it hasn’t the last few years.

The Blue Jays slugger hit .292 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .461 slugging percentage during the regular season. Those numbers are strong — but it's not like his playoff stats.

Guerrero, the son of the legendary Montreal Expos star Vladimir Guerrero, is batting .442 with a .510 OBP and .930 slugging percentage over 11 games this postseason. His six home runs just this year have tied a Blue Jays record for career postseason home runs.

If Toronto wins the World Series, he's going to be a major part of it.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was not his best during the World Series last season.

He had only two hits in 19 at bats — a .105 average — and zero home runs in Los Angeles’ win over the Yankees. Ohtani had only one extra-base hit in the series, though he did score two runs.

Ohtani also did not pitch in any World Series games last year as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery.

While the Dodgers are known for spending top dollar to acquire as much talent as possible, the Blue Jays didn’t exactly pinch pennies with their roster.

Toronto had the fifth-highest payroll in baseball this season, though it still spent nearly $140 million less than Los Angeles.

The combined payrolls of the two clubs is $652 million, according to FanGraphs financial data.

Trey Yesavage, at 22 years and 88 days old, will start Friday's game and become the second-youngest Game 1 starting pitcher in World Series history, according to MLB. Only the Dodgers' Ralph Branca (21 years, 267 days old in 1947) tops that.

Yesavage's patch to this point is remarkable: Earlier this year he was in Single-A.

Snell is a full decade older than his counterpart, 22-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage, and has the experience to boast.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was 5-4 this season with a 2.35 ERA for Los Angeles. He won all three postseason games he pitched in, surrendering just six total hits over 21 innings pitched.

Yesavage, a rookie, boasted a 3.21 ERA with a 1.43 WHIP this season in just three MLB starts for Toronto. The 22-year-old has had an up-and-down postseason.

In his first start against the Yankees, he threw 5.1 innings of hitless baseball with 11 strikeouts and just one walk. In his next, however, he allowed 5 runs on four hits in a loss to the Mariners but bounced back with just 2 runs in 5.2 innings in Game 6 of the ALCS.

What version of Yesavage will we see in Game 1 of the World Series?

It's been 32 years since Toronto was in the championship round. That year culminated with one of the greatest home runs in MLB history as Joe Carter walked-off against the Phillies in Game 6.

NBC Sports' Vaughn Dalzell thinks MVP is the way to go.

"World Series MVP: Shohei Ohtani (+190), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+700)

"We may never see a player perform at the level that Shohei Ohtani has and with him pitching and hitting in the World Series — I love the value on Ohtani.

"Rather than take the Blue Jays at +185 to win the series, I would opt for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. MVP at +700. He’s been on fire, hitting .442 with 6 homers, 6 walks, and 12 RBI. Vladdy was born for October and Toronto should keep this series ultra-competitive with tons of runs being scored."