Blue Jays seize control in 6-1 Game 5 win, return to Toronto with a chance to clinch first title in 32 years

LOS ANGELES -- The Toronto Blue Jays head home on the brink of history. A 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 gave Toronto a 3-2 lead in the World Series and a chance to clinch its first championship in 32 years tomorrow night at Rogers Centre.

Toronto wasted no time setting the tone at Dodger Stadium. Davis Schneider launched a leadoff home run to left, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed two pitches later with a blast of his own to make it 2-0 before most fans found their seats.

Dodgers starter Blake Snell settled in after that early shock, but rookie Trey Yesavage stole the show. The 22-year-old right-hander was electric, striking out 12 while allowing just three hits and one run over seven innings of work. Yesavage pounded the zone that generated swings and misses all night.

Los Angeles briefly cut the deficit in half when Enrique Hernández homered in the third, but Toronto answered with Daulton Varsho’s triple and Ernie Clement’s sacrifice fly to restore momentum. A four-run seventh sealed it: Addison Barger scored on a wild pitch, Bo Bichette drove in another with a line single to right, as Toronto’s lineup once again delivered from top to bottom.

Seranthony Domínguez handled the eighth inning, and Jeff Hoffman closed it out as Toronto took two straight in Southern California after dropping the 18-inning series opener at Dodger Stadium.

The series shifts north on Friday. Game 6 is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre, where Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.55 ERA) will start for Toronto opposite Los Angeles ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 1.57 ERA).

The Blue Jays have outscored the Dodgers 12-3 over the past two contests, their offense showing balance and patience through all nine spots. With momentum on their side and a city ready to erupt, Toronto has a chance on Friday to turn decades of hope into celebration.

Blue Jays even World Series 2–2 with 6–2 win at Dodger Stadium ahead of pivotal Game 5

LOS ANGELES -- Toronto has evened the World Series at two games apiece with a 6–2 win at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but Toronto answered in the third when Nathan Lukes singled and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a two-run home run to left-center off Shohei Ohtani. It was Guerrero’s seventh career postseason home run, the most in Blue Jays history.

The turning point arrived in the seventh inning. Daulton Varsho singled to right, Ernie Clement doubled to center, and Andrés Giménez drove in a run with a single to left. Ty France grounded out to bring home another run before Bo Bichette and Addison Barger added back-to-back RBI singles to extend the lead to 6–1 and end Ohtani’s outing.

Toronto’s bullpen closed it out cleanly. Chris Bassitt worked two innings in relief, striking out two and allowing one hit with no runs against. In the ninth, Teoscar Hernández walked and Max Muncy doubled to set up a late push. Tommy Edman grounded out to bring one run across, but Enrique Hernández struck out and Alex Call lined out to left to end it.

With the series now level, attention turns to Game 5 tonight in Los Angeles, the final stop before the series shifts to Toronto for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7. The scheduled pitching matchup features Yesavage for Toronto against Blake Snell for Los Angeles. Yesavage enters at 2–1 with a 4.26 ERA and 27 strikeouts this postseason, while Snell brings a 3–1 record with a 2.42 ERA and 32 strikeouts.

Toronto will be looking to its balanced offense to continue producing throughout the order after generating scoring from multiple spots in Game 4. Los Angeles will rely on Snell to stabilize the matchup at home before traveling to a hostile environment in Toronto, where road wins are historically harder to secure.

The stakes are direct. The winner of tonight’s meeting will fly to Canada with two chances to clinch a World Series title. The loser will enter Rogers Centre needing to win twice in a building that will not favor visiting teams. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific.

Blue Jays Clinch AL East Crown as Flames Continue Preseason

CALGARY -- Twenty more wins than a year ago has lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to the American League East crown. The turnaround season ended with Toronto securing its place in the American League Division Series, where the Jays will face either the Yankees or Red Sox once the Wild Card is settled.

While Toronto fans celebrated baseball success, Calgary hockey fans were focused on NHL preseason action. The Flames opened their slate with split-squad games against Edmonton, earning a 3–2 overtime win on the road behind two goals from Morgan Frost, while dropping the home half 3–0. Back at the Dome, they beat Seattle 4–1, then fell 3–1 in Abbotsford against Vancouver. Most recently, in Winnipeg, the Flames came up short 4–2, with goals coming from 2024 first-round draft picks Zayne Parekh, 9th overall, and Matvei Gridin, 28th overall.

Frost has been Calgary’s most consistent forward, leading the team with five points through four appearances. His overtime winner in Edmonton stood out, but his steady production throughout camp has been just as important.

The Flames’ preseason record may not turn heads, but the combination of veteran contributors and first-rounders hitting the scoresheet is giving head coach Ryan Huska a clearer picture as roster cuts continue. For Huska, the emphasis remains less on results and more on which players will be ready when the games count.

Calgary closes out the preseason this week against Seattle, Vancouver, and Winnipeg before opening the regular season October 8 in Edmonton against the Oilers, last year’s Western Conference champions.

Canadian sports fans now find themselves in one of the best stretches of the calendar: the Blue Jays preparing for October baseball and the Flames moving closer to opening night.