Before the fifth game of the World Series, the Archbishop of Los Angeles posted photos on his social media showing Pope Leo XIV receiving a Dodgers jersey and cap. “This morning I asked Pope Leo in Rome to pray for the Dodgers. Go Dodgers!” wrote Jose Gomez.

It's not entirely clear whether the leader of the Catholic Church, who was born in Chicago and is an avowed White Sox fan, prayed for the Dodgers.

But the Dodgers, in reality, don't need the Pope's prayers, much less a miracle. What they need is to play the baseball they're capable of, because if they don't, they will inevitably relinquish their title as the best baseball team in the world.

After losing consecutive games at home by a score of 12-3 and without showing much spirit, the Dodgers have no tomorrow. This Friday, when the World Series resumes in Toronto with the relentless Blue Jays leading 3-2, the Los Angeles team will be put to the test:

Will they show the heart of champions?

And more specifically, will they play the baseball they are obviously capable of even without being at their best?

Toronto, which earned home-field advantage by winning one more game than Los Angeles in the regular season, has two opportunities to capture the title at its stadium and end a very long drought. The Blue Jays haven't been champions since their titles in 1992 and 1993.

The hope is Yamamoto, but he'll need some help

However, in Friday's game (5 pm PT), the red-hot Blue Jays have to face the man who completely dominated them in Game 2 of the series and who is well-rested, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Kevin Gausman will start for the Canadian team. “We know Yamamoto has been throwing a super ball in these playoffs. We just need to try to give him the support he needs in this game so he can be more comfortable,” said Teoscar Hernandez.Dominican outfielder for the Dodgers on the confidence they have in having the fantastic Japanese pitcher in this do-or-die game for LA

Yamamoto has pitched two complete games in a row, an extraordinary feat these days (no one had pitched one in the MLB playoffs since 2017), and the Dodgers might require a similar effort this Friday under the roof of Rogers Centre considering how well “Yoshi” has pitched, but also how erratic the bullpen has been in the last two games.

However, Yamamoto won't be able to keep the Dodgers alive on his own. He'll need some runs, solid playoff-caliber defense, and maybe some effective relief pitching.

Dodgers have scored 4 runs in their last 29 innings

The stat is striking: the Dodgers have scored only 4 runs in their last 29 innings.

That includes Freddie Freeman's epic home run to win the 18-inning marathon in Game 3. No club can win October games with such a lack of production.

“The pitching has been doing its job on the other side,” Teo Hernandez told La Opinion in a gloomy Dodgers clubhouse after Game 5, when rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage held them to 3 hits over 7 innings, striking out 12.

“We try to get good at-bats, to try to do damage early in the game. Things aren't going our way, it's part of baseball, it's just a matter of 'resetting' and trying to win on Friday.”

The Dodgers' problems, both at the plate and in the bullpen, are nothing new; They've been there practically all year. Many times those ailments were overlooked because the team maintained its division lead for almost the entire season, and because when the playoffs began, the Dodgers clearly improved their performance, winning 9 of their first 10 games to enter the World Series as obvious favorites. Even during the playoffs, there were very noticeable slumps where the team's stars didn't play well. Shohei Ohtani himself struggled during the postseason, but then he had some monster games, like Game 4 of the Championship Series against Milwaukee, that made his lack of consistency disappear. Others, like Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Andy Pages, never found their rhythm at the plate, and in fact, the Cuban was left out of the lineup in Game 5 against Toronto. Manager Dave Roberts pointed to his team's poor work connecting on pitches in the strike zone. The deficiencies were mitigated, but not eliminated. As for the relief pitchers, the Dodgers are without Alex Vesia in this series due to a serious personal issue, while the club's two main signings for this season, both relievers,They're not with the team.

Tanner Scott had a terrible season, while Kirby Yates struggled to stay healthy and had to be left off the roster. The deficiencies in the bullpen, including the collapse of veteran Blake Treinen, were mitigated by a more solid collective effort in recent weeks and by the brilliant addition of Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki as closer shortly before the playoffs after spending months in the minor leagues.

Now that the opposing team, Toronto, has been performing to its potential, the Dodgers' deficiencies have become very apparent, raising the idea that Dave Roberts' team needs to be rejuvenated.

But there will be time for that analysis from management later. The Dodgers now have to manage to back Yamamoto and try to come from behind in the World Series.