The 2025 World Series begins on Friday, following a THRILLING Game 7 of the ALCS.
The Toronto Blue Jays dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-4, in Game 1 of the Fall Classic on FOX.
Toronto won a thrilling
final game to win the American League. Trailing 3-1 to the Seattle Mariners in Game 7, thanks to home runs from Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh, the Blue Jays rallied to clinch their first pennant in 32 years.
George Springer, a frequent October hero in Houston, hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the bottom of the 7th inning off Eduard Bazardo to put Toronto ahead for good. The Blue Jays bullpen closed out the 4-3 victory at Rogers Centre.
The Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers, the team with the best record in baseball (97-65), in a dominant series. LA outscored the Brewers 15-4, and Milwaukee only scored one run in each contest.
Six former Pittsburgh Pirates are on the Dodgers and Blue Jays’ 40-man rosters.
The most notable name is Tyler Glasnow, who owns a 0.68 ERA and 18 strikeouts through 13.1 October innings. Glasnow pitched in Pittsburgh from 2016-18 before being traded to Tampa Bay in the Chris Archer deadline deal.
Glasnow will likely start at least one game in the World Series. Lefty reliever Anthony Banda pitched three times out of the bullpen prior to the World Series and only allowed one hit in 2.2 frames.
Banda allowed a pinch-hit grand slam to Addison Barger in the 6th inning and recorded two outs in the frame. The home run blew the game open with the Blue Jays scoring nine in the bottom half.
Banda pitched 46 innings with the Pirates during the 2021 and 2022 seasons before being let go. He bounced around from the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Nationals before landing with the Dodgers last season.
Andrew Heaney signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers after being designated for assignment by the Pirates and hasn’t pitched in the playoffs.
The Pirates did the same with Isiah Kiner-Falefa in and allowed the middle infielder to change teams after not being dealt at the July 31 trade deadline.
Kiner-Falefa has become Toronto’s primary second baseman. IKF is slashing .217/.217/.304 with a .521 OPS, five hits, and two doubles in 10 games.
Catcher Tyler Heineman is the backup to Alejandro Kirk and only appeared in one game in the Seattle series. Heineman spent parts of 2022 and 2023 with the Pirates and played 55 total games.
Lefty reliever Justin Bruihl pitched seven games for 5.2 innings with the Bucs in 2024. He allowed three hits, two earned runs, and recorded one out in his lone playoff game for Toronto against the New York Yankees on October 5.
Game 2 of the 2025 World Series between Toronto and Los Angeles is Saturday night on FOX.
