LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trey Yesavage set a World Series rookie record with 12 strikeouts, and the Toronto Blue Jays opened Game 5 with back-to-back homers in a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers that moved them within one win of their first championship since 1993. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected on Blake Snell’s first and third pitches, the first consecutive home runs to start a Series game. Yesavage, a precocious 22-year-old right-hander who began his season pitching before 327 fans in Class A, broke the prior rookie record of 11 strikeouts set by Don Newcombe for the Dodgers in 1949. Toronto leads 3-2 in the best-of-seven matchup and can dethrone the defending champions back home when the Series resumes Friday night at Rogers Centre.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays hit the first back-to-back homers to begin a game in World Series history Wednesday night when Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected on the first and third pitches by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Blake Snell. Leadoff hitter Schneider delivered his first career playoff homer on Snell’s very first pitch in Game 5, hammering a high fastball to left. Guerrero then blasted an 0-1 fastball to left for his Blue Jays-record eighth homer of the postseason, hitting it 394 feet. The star slugger also homered in Game 4 of the World Series, connecting off Shohei Ohtani.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Snell came into the World Series on a dominant roll. That ended abruptly against the Toronto Blue Jays. The two-time Cy Young Award winner gave up two home runs on his first three pitches in Game 5, then faltered again late in a 6-1 loss Wednesday night that put the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers on the brink of a Fall Classic defeat. The Blue Jays took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and can steal the title away from LA with a win Friday in Game 6 in Toronto.
GENEVA (AP) — The IOC and Saudi Arabia have canceled their 12-year deal to host video gaming Esports Olympics in Riyadh. The International Olympic Committee says they “mutually agreed that they will end their cooperation on the Olympic Esports Games.” It is a rare failure for a Saudi-backed sports project that is a key part of the Vision 2030 program driven by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia already hosts the Esports World Cup which has shooter games like Call of Duty and Street Fighter that always shaped to be an issue for the IOC to endorse.
TOKYO (AP) — A lot of Japanese have been glued to their computers or TV sets recently, cheering for Shohei Ohtani in the World Series. Hideyuki Kamimura, who heads a dental clinic in a town north of Tokyo, one of the fans, hasn’t given up. For fans, Ohtani has been just about perfect _ delivering home run after home run, pitching great, even stealing, and handsome, as well as having a great personality, like humbly picking up garbage at the games. No wonder Ohtani is popping up in endorsements, seemingly everywhere one turns in Tokyo, from Seiko watches and bottled water to cosmetics.
Climate change is affecting winter sports worldwide, with shorter winters and less snow. With 100 days until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games begin, many athletes say climate change is shaping their training and the future of their sport. Snowboarder Bea Kim is concerned about the future of winter sports as glaciers retreat. Canadian skier Marion Thénault has adjusted her travel to reduce her carbon footprint. American skier Julia Kern trains in slushy conditions due to warmer winters. The inconsistent weather is challenging for athletes preparing for events like the Olympics. Sports such as ski mountaineering, which will make its Olympic debut, may have to hold races at higher elevations in the future.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier will not receive his salary while on leave due to his arrest on federal gambling charges. Nor will Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who has also been placed on leave by the league after his arrest on gambling-related charges last week. That's according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because details were not released publicly. Both of their salaries are being withheld while the cases play out. Additionally, Rozier’s attorney says that a federal lien filed with regard to the player’s tax bill in 2021 was satisfied.
Many NFL teams have lost star players to season-ending injuries this season, or played without them for significant stretches — but a new poll finds that most football fans want more games, even if it means more risk. A new Quinnipiac poll found about half of NFL fans say the league is doing enough to protect players from serious injuries. Most fans, 60%, support expanding the season, including many who say the move for players — which would include a salary increase — is worth the increased risk of injury. The NFL is nearing the midpoint of a season marked by high-profile injuries that have knocked several key players out of action the rest of the way. The poll suggests that for the most part, blame isn’t landing on the league.
NEW YORK (AP) — The stakes for all these U.S. skiers, skaters, snowboarders and sliders over the next 100 days could not be more clear. A chance for Olympic glory. A chance to compete for a gold medal. And this year, for the first time, a chance to make $100,000. Thanks to a recent record $100 million donation to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, athletes who make the U.S. Olympic or Paralympic teams starting next year in Milan-Cortina will be eligible to receive a $100,000 grant when they retire.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers shuffled their slumping lineup for Game 5 of the World Series. The changes did absolutely nothing to prevent another dismal offensive performance by their powerhouse lineup. The Dodgers managed just four hits against Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage and his bullpen during the Blue Jays’ 6-1 victory. Kiké Hernández’s third-inning homer was the Dodgers’ only extra-base hit, and they struck out a whopping 15 times. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved Mookie Betts down in the order for the first time in four years and benched Andy Pages.
Finals
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Final Toronto 6 L.A. Dodgers 1
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Columbus 6 Toronto 3