LOS ANGELES — Ambush! Ambush!
The Blue Jays launched two home runs within the first three pitches in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, first from Davis Schneider and then Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
This is the first time in World Series history that a team has hit back-to-back home runs to lead off a game. The only other team in postseason history with back-to-back homers to lead off a game was the 2002 A’s in the ALDS.
It’s a dream start for the Blue Jays, who gave Schneider the rare shot at batting leadoff with George Springer still battling right side discomfort after exiting Game 3. This also bumped Guerrero up to the No. 2 spot in their new-look lineup Wednesday, but the Blue Jays clearly had a plan to blitz Blake Snell from the jump in Game 5.
Both home runs came off Snell’s fastball, which the Blue Jays were hunting early, and Guerrero’s extended his lead as the Blue Jays’ all-time postseason home run leader with eight. Schneider’s was the first he’s ever hit in the postseason and the biggest moment of his career. It was also the seventh leadoff home run of this postseason — two more than in any other single year: Schneider, Shohei Ohtani (two), Michael Busch (two), Springer, Jackson Chourio.
“He’s a blue collar guy,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said about Davis Schneider during an in-game interview with FOX. “He’s never had anything given to him, never a big prospect. So he’s earned everything he’s gotten. He’s been down to the Minor Leagues this year. He’s kind of figured out what works for him and he’s a really likeable guy. And I think his teammates have really kind of grasped onto him a little bit.”
Guerrero is coming off a dominant performance in Game 4 in which he homered off the great Ohtani and helped the Blue Jays take back home-field advantage in this Series, tying it 2-2. That performance guaranteed that the Series would shift back to Rogers Centre in Toronto for Game 6 on Friday, and if the Blue Jays can pull off a win Wednesday in L.A., they’ll be just one victory away from their first World Series title since 1993.
