"TORONTO -- Thirty-two years of frustration and failure, of disappointment and self-loathing, of trauma worn as a badge of honour, burst in magnificent fashion Friday night. The sixth inning of Game 1 of the World Series was an exorcism. Toronto, one of the world's great metropolises, a city that has loved its baseball team through decades of it not loving back, screamed and bellowed and remembered what championship baseball looked like."
"They showed the world what they were already certain of coming into the 121st World Series: They are no pushovers. "We've had a genuine feeling for a long time that if we just played a certain brand of baseball, that we then will win the game," Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt said, and he's right. In an era of copious strikeouts, the Blue Jays don't. In a time of shoddy defense, the Blue Jays play clean."
"Starting with a six-pitch walk, adding a single, drawing a hit-by-pitch on the ninth pitch of the at-bat and chasing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell set the tone. A single scored the first run and gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 advantage. A nine-pitch walk scored another run and a single one more. And after a tapper to the mound drew the first out on a force play at home, Blue Jays manager John Schneider called on his third"
Thirty-two years of disappointment and trauma in Toronto's baseball history culminated in a cathartic performance. The Blue Jays overwhelmed the favored Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 1, highlighted by a nine-run sixth inning that showcased contact hitting, patience, and clean defense. Toronto entered the series with the postseason's best offense, averaging 6.5 runs per game, and executed walks, singles, and hit-by-pitches to build a decisive lead. Pitching chased Blake Snell and managerial moves sustained the rally. The performance signaled that the Blue Jays are a formidable, disciplined team rather than a postseason pushover.
Read at ESPN.com
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