Three Things We Learned From the Blue Jays' Game 1 Win Over the Dodgers

Historically, the winner of Game 1 of the World Series has gone on to win the Fall Classic 64% of the time.

That's good news, of course, if you're a fan of the Blue Jays, who emphatically captured Game 1 of the 2025 World Series on Friday night by a final score of 11–4.

Here are three takeaways from Toronto's series-opening win.

The Blue Jays grinded out at-bats against Blake Snell that paid dividends later in the contest

The single biggest storyline entering the World Series was the Dodgers' starting rotation and its dominance throughout the postseason. Entering Game 1, Los Angeles's starters boasted a 1.40 ERA this postseason, and were coming off a dominant NLCS in which they held the Brewers to a .118 batting average as a team.

Getting to the Dodgers' bullpen was going to be paramount for the Blue Jays, not only against Los Angeles ace Blake Snell in Game 1, but throughout the series.

Snell pitched three scoreless innings to begin the game, but Toronto made him work. The Blue Jays put runners on base in each of the first three frames, driving Snell's pitch count up in the process. In the fourth, the tough early at-bats paid dividends. Trailing 2–0, Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk singled before center fielder Daulton Varsho took a Snell four-seam fastball deep to dead center to tie the game.

The game was all square, which of course was only a precursor for what was to come in the sixth.

The Dodgers' bullpen? Not as good as their starters!

This was also a big storyline heading into the World Series. Could the Blue Jays get into the Dodgers bullpen and make the unit pay? As previously mentioned, the Los Angeles starting rotation entered the Fall Classic with a 1.40 postseason ERA. The bullpen, on the other hand, had a 4.88 ERA.

The sixth inning of Game 1 provided a blueprint for how Toronto could win the World Series. Grind out good early at-bats against the Dodgers starters, then attack the bullpen. The Blue Jays posted a nine-spot in the sixth, blowing the game open with the most runs scored in a single inning of a World Series game since 1968. The grand slam from Toronto utilityman Addison Barger - which effectively put the game away - was the first pinch hit grand slam in World Series history.

Three of the nine runs in the sixth were charged to Snell, the remaining six were courtesy of the Los Angeles bullpen. You can't ask for much better than that if you're a fan of the Blue Jays.

The Dodgers need more from the top of their lineup in Game 2 (and beyond)

The Dodgers need more out of the top of their lineup, starting in Game 2. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, which came with Los Angeles trailing 11–2. Toronto fans are certainly happy that Ohtani's biggest hit of the night came with the game well in hand. He finished 1-for-4. Shortstop Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman were a combined 1-for-7 on Friday night, underscoring the Dodgers' struggles at the plate.

The track record of those three players is way too good to expect another pedestrian performance in Game 2. More tone-setting at the top of the lineup will be something to keep an eye on for the Los Angeles on Saturday.