Dodgers One Loss From World Series Elimination After Game 5

The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in a precarious position after dropping Game 5 of the World Series at home to the Toronto Blue Jays. Now trailing 3–2 in the series, the Dodgers face the daunting task of winning on the road to keep their championship hopes alive.

This defeat was more than just a loss in the standings—it was a rare moment when the Dodgers, usually dominant in October, looked *truly* overmatched. With the action shifting to Toronto, the pressure is mounting on both their pitching staff and their struggling offense.

Dodgers Falling Into Familiar Trouble

This uneasy situation feels a lot like 2018, when Los Angeles got handled by the Boston Red Sox. In 2024, it’s almost uncanny: a stacked team on paper, but getting both outplayed and out-thought on the field.

The Blue Jays, who plenty of folks pegged as underdogs, have shown they’re anything but. They’ve brought a stubborn, dangerous edge to this series.

Toronto’s Unexpected Strength

The Blue Jays have played a style that mixes disciplined hitting, sharp pitching, and relentless energy. They’ve found and exploited cracks in the Dodgers’ approach—issues that went mostly ignored during the regular season.

Honestly, Toronto looks fully capable of winning their first World Series since the early ’90s. That wasn’t something many predicted back in April.

Game 5 Offensive Breakdown

Game 5 just laid bare the Dodgers’ biggest October problem: their offense goes missing at the worst times. Despite all their firepower—including Shohei Ohtani—they couldn’t get the big hits when it mattered.

This problem keeps putting the pitching staff in a tough spot, asking starters and relievers to basically win games by themselves. That’s not sustainable, and it’s starting to show.

Trey Yesavage’s Dominance

The story of Game 5? Trey Yesavage. The Toronto starter completely shut down L.A.’s dangerous lineup, going seven innings and giving up just one run.

Against Ohtani’s crew, that’s impressive. Yesavage attacked the zone, mixed his pitches, and kept Dodgers hitters off balance all night. You could see their frustration mounting.

The Pitching-First Problem

The Dodgers have leaned hard on their rotation to get through this postseason. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and others have flashed brilliance, but when the offense disappears, those efforts go to waste.

Their pitching depth has covered up a lot of offensive issues—at least until now. Facing a red-hot team like Toronto, those flaws just can’t hide anymore.

Key Issues Holding Los Angeles Back

Main concerns the Dodgers must address:

• Inconsistent production from the middle of the batting order
• Failure to adjust mid-game to pitchers with unexpected strategies
• Overreliance on home runs rather than situational hitting
• Missed opportunities with runners in scoring position

Looking Ahead to Game 6

The series now heads back to Toronto, and the Dodgers are staring at a must-win. Yamamoto gets the ball with all the pressure on his shoulders, needing to both halt Toronto’s run and give his lineup a shot to get ahead.

They don’t need to suddenly score ten runs. What they really need is smarter, more timely hitting—and to finally cash in on those chances when they come.

What Los Angeles Needs to Do

If the Dodgers want to flip this series, they’ve got to:

• Work deeper into counts and throw Toronto’s pitchers off their rhythm.
• Mix up their offense, not just swing for the fences every time.
• Let the bullpen try to hang onto slim leads—if they can get them.
• Avoid those sloppy defensive mistakes that always seem to come back to bite.

There’s still a shot for Los Angeles, but only if they can match Toronto’s discipline and energy. They don’t have to change everything overnight—just get back to the basics and execute better.

A win in Game 6 could flip the mood and maybe lead to a wild Game 7. Right now, though, it’s Toronto with the edge.

The Dodgers’ championship window is open, but it’s definitely getting smaller with every inning. Every single pitch matters. Can Los Angeles handle the pressure, or is Toronto’s hot streak about to shut their season down? Hard to say, but it’s going to be tense.

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Here is the source article for this story: None of it matters if you don’t hit: Dodgers one loss away from losing World Series