Blue Jays advance to ALCS as Flames win Battle of Alberta and Wolf dominates early season
CALGARY — It was a defining week for Canadian sports — and once again, Calgary was right in the centre of it.
The Toronto Blue Jays punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series with a convincing win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Toronto now awaits the winner of Tigers–Mariners Game 5, which will decide who they face when the ALCS opens Sunday at 6 p.m. Mountain.
Back in Alberta, the Flames delivered an early-season statement. Down 3–0 to the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary stormed back to win 4–3 in an eight-round shootout, taking the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Matvei Gridin, Connor Zary, and Blake Coleman provided the regulation goals, with Coleman capitalizing on yet another misplay by Stuart Skinner. Nazem Kadri scored the shootout winner and added an assist, while Adam Klapka and Matt Coronato also picked up helpers.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf once again proved why he’s the cornerstone of Calgary’s crease, stopping 32 of 35 shots through regulation and overtime — plus seven more in the shootout — for a .914 save percentage. Despite being the difference-maker, Wolf was curiously left off the game’s three stars list.
For Edmonton, the same narrative continues. With two of the league’s top forwards, the Oilers’ ongoing goaltending instability remains their biggest barrier to serious contention.
Calgary dropped the second half of their back-to-back the following night in Vancouver, falling 5–1 to the Canucks. Morgan Frost notched the lone goal for the Flames, assisted by Yegor Sharangovich and Joel Farabee.
The Flames return home to the Scotiabank Saddledome for their home opener Saturday at 2 p.m. against the St. Louis Blues, aiming to climb back above .500 for the second time this season. Meanwhile, the Calgary Wranglers kick off their AHL campaign with a two-game set in Colorado against the Eagles.
Between the Jays chasing a pennant and the Flames showing early-season resilience, Canada’s sports momentum is surging — and in Calgary, the fire’s only getting brighter.
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.
Blue Jays Top Rays in Extras, Strengthen Grip on AL East
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays slipped past the Tampa Bay Rays 2–1 in 10 innings Monday night, tightening their hold on the American League East with less than two weeks left in the regular season.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring with a run in the second inning, and the lead held until Toronto finally broke through in the eighth. The Jays pulled even, then pushed across the deciding run in the 10th before closing it out in the bottom half.
The victory moves Toronto to 88–62 (.587), widening the gap atop the division to five games over the Yankees and six over the Red Sox. The Jays have taken seven of their last 10 while their closest rivals have faltered down the stretch.
Toronto continues to pair one of the league’s best home records with timely performances on the road. Wins like this reinforce their case as a club ready to lock down its first AL East crown since 2015.
Jays Walk Off Orioles 5–4, Pad AL East Lead
TORONTO — The Blue Jays rallied in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Baltimore Orioles 5–4 on Saturday at Rogers Centre, stretching their division lead to 3.5 games over the Yankees and 5.0 over the Red Sox in the AL East.
Down 4–2 in their final at-bat, Toronto’s comeback began with Joey Loperfido, who punched an RBI single through the right side to cut the deficit to one. Andrés Giménez followed with a ground-ball single into left to score Ernie Clement, tying the game at 4–4 and keeping the inning alive.
George Springer then reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Alejandro Kirk sealed it with a sacrifice fly to center fielder Colton Cowser, deep enough for Loperfido to tag and score the winning run.
On the mound, Max Scherzer worked five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts. Tommy Nance followed with a clean sixth. Eric Lauer was charged with one run in 1.2 innings, and Seranthony Domínguez allowed two hits in a third of an inning. Matt Fisher earned the win despite surrendering a run in the ninth, finishing his line with one inning, one hit, one earned run, one walk, and one strikeout.
The victory lifted Toronto to 86–62, keeping them on top of the American League East. The Yankees (82–65) sit 3.5 games back, the Red Sox (81–67) trail by 5.0, while Tampa Bay and Baltimore are well out of contention.
For the Blue Jays, the win underscored a September theme: timely hitting, contributions from throughout the order, and Joey Loperfido crossing the plate with the game-winner in front of a buzzing Rogers Centre crowd.