In Game 5 of the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers found themselves reeling after a rough start by ace Blake Snell.
Snell surrendered back-to-back leadoff home runs to Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the first two pitches of the game, setting the tone for a lopsided 6-1 defeat to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Snell finished his outing with five earned runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.
When asked about the loss, he said:
“I mean, they didn’t really get to me. First pitch of the game-97 fastball up and in, he [Davis Schneider] hits it 98, it goes out. Pretty unlucky. And then Vlad [Vladimir Guerrero Jr.], that’s just a bad pitch. … And then after that, pretty smooth sailing. Figured out their lineup, what they like to do.
“And [Daulton] Varsho gets a triple on a 78 exit velocity. It’s just unlucky. I’m not one to make excuses or anything close to that, but yeah, just pretty unlucky …”
Why Snell’s explanation drew criticism
The backlash stems from how extremely fast the collapse began and how quickly momentum shifted away.
Schneider‘s leadoff homer and Guerrero‘s bomb off Snell‘s first two pitches are part of baseball lore now. Toronto opened Game 5 with the first-ever back-to-back home runs to start a World Series game.
That moment alone changed the script: instead of settling into a duel between veterans, Snell found himself on the back foot from the first pitch.
His attempt to label the damage as bad luck also overlooks how the Blue Jays attacked. Early swings, disciplined at-bats, and capitalizing on mistakes have been the hallmark of Toronto’s lineup throughout the postseason.
Given Snell‘s pedigree as a two-time Cy Young winner and a prominent acquisition for Los Angeles, his performance invited more scrutiny than most.
In round numbers, Snell entered the game having allowed just two earned runs in his first three postseason outings of the year.
To allow ten earned runs in just two starts against Toronto now represents a sharp reversal.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers‘ offense offered no rescue. The team managed just four hits and struck out 15 times in the loss.
With the club now facing elimination and their hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series champions since 2000 slipping, the urgency angle is clear.
Now the story turns to manager Dave Roberts as he responds to the emergency plaguing the Dodgers, with Roberts looking to rookie starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 6, hoping to flip the dynamics after Toronto seized the momentum.
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