TORONTO — When it comes to rooting for the underdog, my favorite inspiration comes from Duke, the trainer from “Rocky.” In one of the film’s iconic moments, he advises the confident champion Apollo Creed after the first round: “He doesn’t know it’s a damn show. He thinks it is a damn fight.”

The Dodgers were given a similar wake-up call on Friday night, realizing the World Series wouldn’t be a simple televised celebration of their victory. Defending their title would require grit and determination. Game 1 became a fierce contest dictated by the Blue Jays, who showcased unyielding persistence in every at-bat. This team becomes especially dangerous when their hitters find themselves with two strikes.

In a performance reminiscent of their earlier series against the Yankees, the Blue Jays unleashed a relentless barrage against the Dodgers at Rogers Centre. During a staggering nine-run sixth inning, contributions came from every player, resulting in an 11-4 victory. The notion that the Blue Jays would simply bow out against the Dodgers seemingly didn’t make it past Canadian customs.

Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes put it succinctly: “Everyone’s compared this as David against Goliath, but I think it’s more like two Goliaths — we are the last two teams standing.”