Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for Game 5 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Shohei Ohtani might be the greatest baseball player to ever walk the Earth, but at least for one night, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays got the best of the reigning NL MVP. Ohtani gave up four earned runs in Game 4 — including a two-run blast off the bat of Guerrero — as Toronto took down Los Angeles 6-2 and tied the World Series at two games apiece.
Now, on Wednesday, we get a rematch of Game 1’s probable pitchers, with Blake Snell and Trey Yesavage squaring-off to move their team within one win of a championship.
Can the rookie out-duel the former Cy Young Award winner? Can the Dodgers’ bats wake up? Let’s preview tonight’s Game 5 clash with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Blue Jays vs. Dodgers Game 5 prediction, preview
Blake Snell had to deal with a lot of traffic in Game 1, as the left-handed surrendered eight hits and three walks over his five innings of work. It’s the exact opposite of how Snell breezed through his first three postseason starts in 2025, allowing just six hits in 21.0 innings. By this point, we know that this is a Blue Jays lineup that can frustrate opposing pitchers. Toronto is slashing .285/.348/.475 in the playoffs with a league-high .823 OPS. That doesn’t just happen randomly over the course of a month. In fact, the Jays were among the most potent offenses in MLB throughout the regular season, combining a league-low 17.8% strikeout rate with a 112 wRC+ that ranked fourth-best. Still, don’t expect Snell to just roll over. Even with underwhelming results last Friday, Snell is sporting a 2.42 ERA and a 2.21 FIP in the postseason. The veteran southpaw’s 33.3% strikeout rate is also impressive, though not as impressive as his 4.00 K/BB ratio, which would be a career-high if prorated across an entire campaign. Snell will certainly be seeking his revenge on Wednesday evening.
One of the men standing in the way of Snell’s redemption in Game 5 is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his 248 wRC+ over 74 postseason plate appearances. Any way you slice it, Vladdy is having a playoff run for the ages. With his home run off Ohtani in Game 4, Guerrero became the Blue Jays franchise leader in postseason long balls, surpassing both Joe Carter and Jose Bautista. He also became just the fourth player in MLB history to compile at least 50 total bases in a single postseason — and he’s still got at least two more games to go. Just absurd stuff. Specific to tonight’s matchup with Snell, few hitters dominated left-handed pitching like Guerrero during the regular season in 2025. In his 135 at-bats within the split, the All-Star managed a .448 expected wOBA, which was the second-highest mark among qualified players in the American League, trailing only Aaron Judge. Pretty good company! With George Springer likely still riding the pine with an oblique issue, Toronto needs Guerrero to continue to be the best version of himself.
Finally, let’s talk some Yesavage. Game 5 will present an interesting test for the Blue Jays’ rookie phenom. Toronto was careful to limit the Dodgers’ exposure to Yesavage in Game 1, with the 22-year-old leaving after two full trips through the order, but the element of surprise is now gone for the former first-round pick. Yesavage will also be pitching in hostile territory for the first time in a long time, with all three of the RHP’s prior postseason starts coming at Rogers Centre. Control will be something to watch for with Yesavage early on. The ECU product has an inflated 12.7% walk rate in the playoffs and both runs he allowed in Game 1 reached on a free pass. Yesavage will also have to do a better job neutralizing RHBs, as his nasty splitter is less of a weapon in same-handedness matchups. Don’t believe me? Look no further than switch-hitter Tommy Edman batting right-handed versus Yesavage to open this series.
Blue Jays vs. Dodgers Game 5 pick, best bet
Best Bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2+ Hits + Runs + RBI (+128)
Guerrero is on fire and he posted a .448 expected wOBA against LHPs during the regular season.
Strong Lean: Blake Snell & Trey Yesavage 6+ Combined Walks (+138)
This prop would have hit in Game 1 and nothing about this duo’s control issues make me think it won’t happen again.