STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
So I turned on Game 1 of the World Series over the weekend just in time to see one inning. And it was the sixth inning, where the Toronto Blue Jays scored nine runs, crushing the Dodgers in Game 1. I sent A Martínez in Los Angeles a note. It said condolences. He has yet to reply. But the Dodgers won Game 2, and the series continues tonight in Los Angeles. Here's Steve Futterman.
STEVE FUTTERMAN, BYLINE: From the moment the series was set between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, Los Angeles has been the clear favorite. But in Game 1, the underdog Blue Jays dominated the Dodgers.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Barger sends a towering drive. Right center field. Kiss it goodbye.
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FUTTERMAN: As heard here on Fox, the Toronto bats exploded for nine runs in the sixth inning of the opener, the third most runs ever scored in a single inning in series history. It led to an 11-4 beatdown. But in the second game, the Dodgers' stellar starting pitching took over. Yoshi Yamamoto did something almost unheard of in modern baseball. He threw the first complete game in a world series since 2015, earning praise not just from his own manager Dave Roberts...
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DAVE ROBERTS: Outstanding, uber-competitive, special.
FUTTERMAN: ...But also, from the Blue Jay hitters, like George Springer.
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GEORGE SPRINGER: A very, very elite guy had a great game. And when, you know, he's on his game like that, he's hard to score off of, as we've seen from all year. So, yeah, you know, again, you know, hats off to him.
FUTTERMAN: Now it's on to Game 3, the series moving across the border. Toronto's starting pitcher will be 41-year-old Max Scherzer. This is his fourth world series, and remarkably, he's done it with four different teams, Detroit, Washington, Texas and now Toronto.
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MAX SCHERZER: So fortunate to have another crack at this. I mean, there's so many great players that have never gotten a World Series. So many great players where, you know, they only have one World Series. So I respect, absolutely respect, playing in a World Series, what that means, and absolutely cherish these opportunities.
FUTTERMAN: It's only the third time a Canadian team has made the series, and in each case, it's been the Blue Jays. The Dodgers, meanwhile, with their high-power lineup and the highest payroll in baseball, are hoping to become the first team since the 2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champions.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Futterman in Toronto. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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