The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Game 1 of the World Series backed by their nine wins in ten playoff games this season. But if their performance in Toronto proved anything, it was that they, too, are domitable. After a 60.4% winning probability ended in an 11-4 loss, they just might be in big trouble.

USA Today’s Gabe Lacques has already dropped his verdict: “The Dodgers entered this World Series unbeatable. They could be in big trouble.”

The analyst’s statement hit hard, and it’s understandable.

The Dodgers’ supposed power, poise, pitching consistency, and depth just looked fragile in Game 1. To add to that, there were Emmet Sheehan and Anthony Banda, who committed what the manager called “a pair of cardinal sins.”

Sheehan created the mess with the four batters he faced, issuing a walk and then giving up an RBI single to the No. 9 hitter. The issue became more intense with Banda’s mistake.

He entered the night with an elite postseason position. In the last two postseasons, he has faced 48 batters, retiring 32 of them and yielding just one run. However, in Toronto, he gave up a first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history to the Jays’ Addison Barger. The Dodgers went into shock.

“We need to bounce back,” Dave Roberts said after the loss.

“Anthony’s been very good for us, left a breaking ball up. But, yeah, with the construct of the pen, we’re going to need ’em, and so we got a long way to go, a lot of baseball, but they certainly got to make good pitches.”

This implosion was unexpected from the team that has weathered tragedy and injuries.

“You’re just trying to find outs,” Banda said later. “It’s something that we just didn’t do today as far as the bullpen. When we do, it’s lights-out. It’s as simple as that, build confidence in that. But tonight was just very bad.” 

With the team in pieces and Blake Snell’s bad outing adding an extra layer of uncertainty, the squad now looks up to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the upcoming game. Yamamoto has saved the team before, and the fans are hoping he will step forward and do it again.

He delivered an elite performance in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Brewers. Yamamoto bounced back from a leadoff home run and then dominated Milwaukee with a complete-game delivery. That performance helped Dave Roberts’ team get a 5-1 win. Yamamoto struck out seven, allowed just three hits, and walked just one over on 111 pitches.

After the Dodgers’ bullpen collapse, the Jays have pointed out why their team is no longer an underdog.

Dodgers’ struggle spotlights the Blue Jays’ resilient comeback culture

This is not a David vs. Goliath scenario; it is Goliath VS. Goliath. Manager John Schneider and his roster made it clear.

The Blue Jays’ six-run sixth inning in Game 1, including Addison Barger’s historic pinch-hit grand slam, showcased the team’s capability to shine under pressure and punish every elite pitching. “That’s just how we roll,” Schneider voiced, underlining the squad’s relentless approach. The win against the Dodgers was not just an accident. The Jays’ players demonstrated their consistent approach to contact and competitiveness, striking out just once after the fourth inning.

Shortstop Bo Bichette’s return from injury applauded the clubhouse’s “never give in” mentality, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa emphasized their composure regardless of an early 2-0 deficit. With 52 comeback wins this season, the Blue Jays proved that they can knock down any narrative of inferiority, pushing the Dodgers to re-evaluate their approach.

Myles Straw highlighted that putting the ball in play, letting regular contact create opportunities, while Ernie Clement underlined the clubhouse’s identity: Aggressive, multidimensional, and capable of winning in several ways. 

For the Dodgers, exposing vulnerabilities may prove conclusive in the series.

The Dodgers’ lineup was left stunned. Blake Snell’s five-inning outing, in which he gave up five runs, and the bullpen’s historic failure, underlined how rapidly dominance can be undone. As Bo Bichette and Nathan Lukes observed, the Blue Jays’ resilience and collective execution permitted them to set the rhythm, leaving the Dodgers struggling to recover control before Game 2.

With Game 1 setting the moment, the Jays’ performance highlights what the Dodgers need to respect: Toronto is not just pesky. They are just as elite and capable of punishing mistakes.