Barger, Varsho and Kirk lead homer barrage as Blue Jays rout Dodgers 11-4 in World Series opener

TORONTO (AP) — Addison Barger launched the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer in a nine-run sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays overwhelmed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in the opener Friday night.

“That’s the epitome of our offense,” said Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement, who laced a tiebreaking single in the sixth. “It’s a collective effort and everybody just doing their job.”

Daulton Varsho started Toronto’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit with a two-run drive in the fourth off two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.

“I’ve faced him before plenty of times. He’s obviously dominated me,” Varsho said. “It’s one of those guys where you’ve got to get your best swing off and whatever happens, happens.”

The longball barrage was fitting as the Fall Classic returned to Toronto for the first time since 1993, when Joe Carter hit the second walk-off homer to end a World Series. And in an unusual tie to that night 32 years ago, Varsho is named after Darren Daulton, the Philadelphia Phillies catcher Mitch Williams was throwing to when Carter connected.

Shohei Ohtani hit his first Series home run for the heavily favored Dodgers, seeking to become the first repeat champion since the New York Yankees took three titles in a row from 1998-2000. Los Angeles was trailing by nine when he went deep off Braydon Fisher for a two-run shot in the seventh, his fourth homer in two games.

Fans angry that Ohtani spurned the Blue Jays to sign a $700 million contract with the Dodgers in December 2023 chanted: “We don’t need you!” when he came to the plate in the ninth.

“Don’t poke the bear,” Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt said.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is at Rogers Centre on Saturday night.

“They bring it every night,” Clement said, referring to Blue Jays fans. “The last few months, honestly, they’ve been selling this place out and giving us a ton of energy. We’re lucky to have these fans.”

Playing after a one-week layoff following its National League Championship Series sweep, Los Angeles took a 2-0 lead against 22-year-old rookie Trey Yesavage on RBI singles by Kiké Hernández in the second and Will Smith in the third.

Yesavage made his fourth postseason start — one more than his regular-season career total. At 22 years, 88 days old he became the second-youngest pitcher to start a World Series opener behind Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca at 21 years, 267 days in 1947 at Yankee Stadium.

Yesavage made some key pitches during his four innings, leaving the bases loaded in the second by retiring Ohtani on a groundout and stranding a runner at third the next inning when he struck out Max Muncy.

Seranthony Domínguez got the win with 1 1/3 hitless innings.

Varsho’s homer was the first off Snell by a left-handed hitter since Juan Soto connected for the Yankees on June 2 last year. Snell gave up a career-high five hits on changeups and allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in five-plus innings.

“Blake just didn’t have good fastball command,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There were just a couple bad walks in there.”

Snell pitched in the Series for the first time since 2020 with Tampa Bay, when he was removed in the sixth inning of Game 6 while pitching a shutout against the Dodgers. Los Angeles rallied against the Rays’ bullpen for its first championship since 1988.

Now the Dodgers are chasing their third title in six years.

Coming off a seven-game ALCS against Seattle that ended Monday, Toronto got 14 hits and key contributions from Bo Bichette and Varsho, who combined with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to become the first trio of sons of former major leaguers to start for one team in a Series game.

Returning from a sprained left knee that had sidelined him since Sept. 6, Bichette played second base for the first time in six years and favored the knee. He singled in the first, ranged to the left side of the infield to field a grounder and save a run, then with the score 2-2 drew a full-count walk from Snell starting the sixth.

Twelve batters went to the plate in the inning. Clement singled off reliever Emmet Sheehan for a 3-2 lead, pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes drew a bases-loaded walk and Andrés Giménez added an RBI single.

Barger greeted left-hander Anthony Banda with a 413-foot drive to right-center on a hanging slider to put Toronto ahead 9-2.

“Just a blackout moment. Just crazy,” Barger said. “I was choking up a little bit, just trying to put the ball in the air and get a run in.”

Kirk, who singled off the right-field wall a pitch before Varsho’s homer, added his fourth home run of the postseason.

“We just didn’t make pitches when we need to to keep that game close,” Roberts said. “We need to be better.”

Up next

Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman start Saturday night. Yamamoto won Game 2 of the Series last year, allowing one run and one hit over 6 1/3 innings in a 4-2 victory over the Yankees and is coming off the first postseason complete game in eight years, a three-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. Gausman will be making his Series debut.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Ronald Blum, The Associated Press