Blue Jays blow away Dodgers in World Series opener

Addison Barger smashed the first grand slam by a pinch-hitter in World Series history as the Toronto Blue Jays blew away the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of the ‘Fall Classic’.

With an expectant crowd packed into Toronto’s Rogers Centre for the first World Series game in Canada since 1993, the Blue Jays scored nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as they romped to an 11-4 win.

Not even a home run from Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani could spare the defending champions’ blushes as their American League opponents drew first blood in the best-of-seven series.

The Dodgers took an early lead as Enrique Hernandez drove in Teoscar Hernandez in the second inning, before Will Smith did the same for Mookie Betts in the third.

But Toronto’s Daulton Varsho tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run homer to centre field in the bottom of the fourth.

The sixth-inning blowout came when Dodgers starting pitcher Blake Snell was taken out after hitting Varsho with a pitch to load the bases with no outs.

Ernie Clement singled off reliever Emmet Sheehan to give Toronto the lead for he first time, Sheehan walked in a run, and a line drive from Andres Gimenez made it 5-2.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts then replaced Sheehan with Anthony Banda on the mound, but it backfired spectacularly as Barger’s grand slam cleared the bases, before Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer of his own to make it 11-2.

Ohtani served notice of his ability with a two-run shot in the seventh, but it was too little, too late for the National League champions .

Toronto had attempted to sign Ohtani before he moved across LA from the Angels to the Dodgers, but the home fans chanted “We don’t need him!” as he came up to bat again in the ninth.

Game two takes place on Saturday evening, also in Toronto, before the series switches to Los Angeles.

Game 1: Blue Jays 11-4 Dodgers

Game 2 (in Toronto): Saturday, 25 October

Game 3 (in LA): Monday, 27 October

Game 4 (in LA): Tuesday, 28 October

Game 5* (in LA): Wednesday, 29 October

Game 6* (in Toronto): Friday, 31 October

Game 7* (in Toronto): Saturday, 1 November

*if required. Matches start 20:00 Eastern Time (early next morning UK time), Home team listed first