On Wednesday night, October 29, 2025, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, baseball history was written before the first inning even ended. Davis Schneider, a 26-year-old backup outfielder thrust into the leadoff spot after George Springer’s injury, smashed the very first pitch he saw — a 96 mph fastball from Blake Snell — deep into left field. One pitch later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. didn’t just respond — he obliterated the next fastball, launching a 394-foot moonshot to tie the record for most postseason homers in Toronto Blue Jays history. Back-to-back leadoff home runs to open a World Series game? Never done before. Not in 120 years of the Fall Classic.
The First Pitch That Changed Everything
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Schneider entered Game 5 with a 3-for-16 slash line in the playoffs. He hadn’t driven in a run. He hadn’t even scored. But with George Springer sidelined and Nathan Lukes benched, manager John Schneider (no relation) made the gutsy call: put Davis in the leadoff spot. And then, on the first pitch of the World Series game — a high, hanging fastball from Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner — Schneider swung like a man possessed. The ball left the bat at 112 mph. The crowd at Dodger Stadium went silent. The scoreboard lit up: 1-0, Blue Jays.
Three pitches later, Guerrero Jr., who had already homered in Game 4 off Shohei Ohtani, stepped in. He’d been in a groove all postseason — but this? This was different. Snell, who had allowed just one home run in his previous 50 NL playoff innings, tried to go inside. Guerrero Jr. didn’t bite. He waited. And when the 0-1 fastball came, he crushed it — the same way he’d crushed so many before. The ball cleared the left-field wall. 2-0. The Blue Jays had done the impossible.
A Franchise Record, and a Moment No One Saw Coming
Guerrero Jr.’s homer was his eighth of the 2025 postseason — a new Toronto Blue Jays record. He broke the previous mark of seven, set by Jose Bautista in 2015. Schneider’s blast? His first ever in the playoffs. And both came on fastballs. Snell, who had relied on sliders and changeups to dominate the NL playoffs, didn’t throw another fastball for the rest of the inning. He was rattled. The Dodgers’ pitching coach later admitted they didn’t expect either hitter to be aggressive on pitch one.
The last time back-to-back leadoff homers opened a playoff game? October 8, 2002 — Ray Durham and Scott Hatteberg of the Oakland Athletics against the Minnesota Twins. But that was the ALDS. This was the World Series. The biggest stage. And the Blue Jays didn’t just match it — they rewrote it.
Why This Matters Beyond the Box Score
For Toronto, this was more than a spark. It was validation. The Blue Jays hadn’t reached the World Series since 1993. Their last title came before most of this roster was born. After splitting Games 1 and 2 in Toronto, losing a grueling 18-inning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium — where Ohtani’s walk-off homer broke hearts — and then winning Game 4 with a dominant 6-2 performance, the team needed momentum. They got it on pitch one.
And it wasn’t just about offense. The Blue Jays hadn’t scored in the first inning of any game in the series until then. This changed everything. The Dodgers, who had dominated early innings all postseason, suddenly looked vulnerable. Snell, who had pitched so well in the NLCS, gave up five runs in Game 1 in Toronto. Now, he was gone after 1.1 innings. The Dodgers’ bullpen, already overworked, had to scramble.
The Bigger Picture: A Franchise Reborn
The Toronto Blue Jays have long been known for power — they led MLB in home runs during the 2025 regular season. But this postseason? They’ve turned it into art. With Schneider and Guerrero Jr.’s homers, Toronto set a new franchise record with 18 home runs in the 2025 playoffs. That’s more than any team in the last 15 years. And it’s not just Guerrero Jr. — Bo Bichette, Alek Thomas, and even rookie catcher Alejandro Kirk have contributed. This isn’t a one-man show. It’s a movement.
For Guerrero Jr., it’s personal. His father, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., a Hall of Famer inducted in 2018, watched from the stands. He had never seen his son hit a home run in the World Series. Now, he had seen two — in the first inning of Game 5. The moment was quiet, emotional. No speeches. Just a nod. A tear. A father seeing his legacy carried forward.
What Happens Next?
The Blue Jays now lead the series 3-2. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday, October 31, 2025, back at Rogers Centre in Toronto. If they win, they’ll capture their first title in 32 years. If they lose, it goes to a decisive Game 7 — a scenario the Dodgers have thrived in since 2017, winning three of their last four Game 7s.
But here’s the twist: the Blue Jays haven’t lost a game in which they’ve scored first this postseason. And now, they’ve done it in the most dramatic way possible. Snell won’t start Game 6. The Dodgers will turn to Tony Gonsolin — but can he contain Guerrero Jr. again? And will Schneider, now a cult hero in Toronto, get another crack at the leadoff spot?
Historical Context: A Long Wait, Finally Broken
The Toronto Blue Jays were an expansion team in 1977. They didn’t win their first division title until 1985. Their back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993 made them the first non-U.S. team to win the World Series. But after that, decades of near-misses followed — the 1996 ALCS collapse, the 2015 ALDS heartbreak, the 2020 pandemic-shortened season where they didn’t even make the playoffs.
This year, they’ve been different. Noisy. Unapologetic. They’ve hit more home runs than any team in the league. They’ve outlasted the Yankees in the ALCS. And now, they’ve made history on baseball’s grandest stage — with a 26-year-old backup and a 26-year-old superstar, swinging as one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How rare are back-to-back leadoff home runs in World Series history?
Never before. The Blue Jays’ Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the first pair in 121 years of World Series history to open a game with consecutive home runs. The only prior occurrence in any playoff game was in 2002, when Oakland’s Ray Durham and Scott Hatteberg did it in the ALDS — but that was a best-of-five series, not baseball’s championship.
Why was Davis Schneider in the leadoff spot?
With George Springer injured and Nathan Lukes benched for defensive reasons, manager John Schneider inserted Schneider, a 26-year-old backup outfielder, into the leadoff role. He had only 3 hits in 16 at-bats in the playoffs before Game 5 — but his speed and plate discipline made him a surprise fit. His first career playoff homer changed everything.
What does Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s eighth postseason homer mean for his legacy?
Guerrero Jr.’s eighth home run in the 2025 playoffs broke the Toronto Blue Jays’ single-postseason record, surpassing Jose Bautista’s seven in 2015. With his father in the Hall of Fame, he’s now cementing his own legacy as one of the most feared sluggers in modern baseball — and the first to lead his team to a World Series title since his father’s era.
How did Blake Snell’s performance impact the game?
Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, had allowed just one home run in his previous 50 NL playoff innings. But he threw three fastballs to start Game 5 — and both Schneider and Guerrero Jr. punished them. He was pulled after 1.1 innings, the earliest he’s ever been removed in a postseason start. His fastball command vanished, and the Dodgers’ bullpen, already stretched thin, had to carry the load.
What’s the significance of the Blue Jays scoring first in Game 5?
For the first time in the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays scored in the first inning — and they’ve won every game they’ve done so in the playoffs this year. After going scoreless in the first inning of Games 1, 2, and 3, this shift in momentum was psychological as much as statistical. It signaled Toronto wasn’t just competing — they were dominating.
What’s next for the Blue Jays and Dodgers?
The Blue Jays lead the series 3-2 and will host Game 6 at Rogers Centre on October 31. If they win, they claim their first title since 1993. The Dodgers, who’ve reached the World Series six times since 2017, will turn to Tony Gonsolin — but they’ve lost their last two Game 6s at home. The pressure is now on Los Angeles to avoid a Game 7.