The Toronto Blue Jays returned home to Rogers Centre for what many fans had circled on the calendar since the schedule was released. A World Series rematch with the Los Angeles Dodgers always carries a little extra emotion after how last season ended. Unfortunately, the first two games of this series on April 5 and April 6, 2026 in Toronto have not gone the way Jays fans hoped.
Los Angeles has looked every bit like the powerhouse that lifted the trophy last fall…
Game One Trouble
The series opener at Rogers Centre already felt intense before the first pitch. Veteran Max Scherzer got the start for Toronto against the deep Dodgers lineup. Early signs looked competitive, though Los Angeles quickly reminded everyone how dangerous their offense can be.
In the first inning Teoscar Hernández, the former Blue Jay, delivered a home run that drove in Kyle Tucker and immediately gave the Dodgers momentum. Max Scherzer allowed two runs before leaving the game after just two innings due to forearm tendinitis, which forced Toronto to rely heavily on the bullpen much earlier than planned.
That moment shifted the game.
Game Two Turned Into A Long Night
The second game quickly turned into one of those nights where everything seemed to go right for Los Angeles and nothing seemed to go Toronto’s way.
The Dodgers powered their way to a 14 to 2 victory, launching five home runs during the game.
Dalton Rushing had a huge performance with two home runs and four hits while driving the offense forward.
Former Jay Teoscar Hernández added a two run homer and four RBIs, another tough reminder of how dangerous that Dodgers lineup can be.
Other big hits came from Freddie Freeman, who also launched a two run home run and drove in three runs, and Shohei Ohtani, who chipped in with a home run and multiple hits.
Toronto struggled to keep pace as the Dodgers kept adding runs throughout the night. The Jays managed just two runs while the Los Angeles lineup kept rolling.
One of the more unusual moments came late in the game when Tyler Heineman actually pitched a scoreless ninth inning for Toronto after the bullpen had already been heavily used.
Key Performers
Toronto Blue Jays
- George Springer scored one of the Blue Jays runs and worked a walk
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. collected a hit and tried to spark the offense
- Tyler Heineman pitched a clean inning late in a tough game
Los Angeles Dodgers
- Dalton Rushing two home runs and four hits
- Teoscar Hernández home run and four RBIs against his former team
- Freddie Freeman home run and three RBIs
- Shohei Ohtani home run and multiple hits
So Are We Off To As Good Of A Start?
If we are being honest as longtime fans, the answer right now is probably no.
The season began with so much excitement after Toronto swept the Athletics to open the year. Since then things have cooled off quickly. The Jays were swept by Chicago and now have dropped the first two games of this huge series against the Dodgers.
That said, the season is still incredibly young. This team is dealing with injuries already and the pitching rotation has been stretched early. Max Scherzer leaving his start early certainly did not help, and the Jays are still waiting on several arms to return.
The core talent is still here.
Players like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer, Andrés Giménez, Kazuma Okamoto, and Ernie Clement are more than capable of getting the offense rolling again.
Looking Ahead
The Dodgers are clearly playing great baseball right now. Their lineup is stacked from top to bottom and they are swinging the bats with serious power.
Toronto still has time to respond in this series and turn things around. The energy inside Rogers Centre during big games can shift momentum quickly, especially when fans remember just how close this team came to a championship last year.
The season is still young and there is far too much talent on this roster for things to stay quiet for long.
One big win can change the story fast.
And there would be no better time for that than against the team that denied Toronto the title last year.
👏 Go Jays Go 👏
