Dodgers lost World Series Game 1 long before Blue Jays pummeled their bullpen

Game 1 of the World Series wasn't exactly how the Los Angeles Dodgers would have liked it to go. While many will point to the nine-run sixth inning for the Toronto Blue Jays as the reason why the Dodgers lost on Friday night, the outcome was actually determined much earlier in the game. The Dodgers had Blue Jays' starting pitcher Trey Yesavage on the ropes, but the offense couldn't deliver the knockout blow.

The inning that immediately comes to mind is when the Dodgers got the scoring started in the second frame. The Dodgers were taking a page out of the Blue Jays' playbook, using a station-to-station approach to put pressure on Toronto to make the right play.

It was a masterful approach, as not only did it lead to Max Muncy driving in the opening run of the World Series, but it defined why Shohei Ohtani is at the top of the Dodgers' lineup. Ohtani was up with the bases loaded and two outs, facing an opportunity to get Yesavage out of the game. Instead, the NL MVP favorite grounded out to first base to end the inning.

Dodgers gave up World Series Game 1 before the Blue Jays even broke them

The Dodgers' NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers saw LA's offense leaving nothing up to chance. When they had the chance to put the Brewers down, they did. That wasn't the case on Friday, and was made even more clear in the third inning.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman got the inning started with consecutive walks, and while Betts scored on Will Smith's single, Freeman was thrown out at second after overrunning the base.

The Dodgers once again had Yesavage on life support, but Freeman's gaffe opened the door for the Jays' rookie to escape with only minimal damage done. For all the talk about the Dodgers waking up against the Philadelphia Phillies and Brewers and realizing that they are the defending World Series champions, Game 1 featured the frustrations that surrounded this team during the regular season.

There's no question that the Dodgers' bullpen has to be able to save the rotation in times of need, but that certainly didn't happen on Friday night. That being said, the Dodgers' offense left runs on the table, and that only paved the way for the Blue Jays to take control right out of the gate of this Fall Classic.