COMMENTARY: Never-say-die Blue Jays show they can be as superhuman as Ohtani
The Toronto Blue Jays weren’t quite dead and buried before Tuesday night, but much of the baseball world had picked up shovels.
The Jays were coming off a crushing, exhausting, 18-inning loss in Game 3. They were missing star sparkplug George Springer, injured in that dispiriting loss.
And they were facing starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best baseball player who has ever lived. And who himself, by the way, happened to reach base nine times on Monday night.
There were questions asked Tuesday of Toronto manager John Schneider about whether he would intentionally walk Ohtani to lead off the game.
The subtext of that question: Are you ready to give up? Were the Jays really going to just concede that Ohtani couldn’t be stopped? And if so, why not just hand over the trophy?
It had already reached that point.
But the Never Say Die Jays had something to say about that. The narrative that has built around these Blue Jays this season would not be denied.
This is a team that hangs around and battles, that makes even elite pitchers work, that grinds opponents down and gets key contributions from up and down the lineup.
Oh, and sometimes one of their stars mashes a dinger.
On Tuesday night, that was exactly the Blue Jays team that showed up for Game 4. A 6-2 win in Los Angeles against the defending champions tied the World Series at 2-2, ensured a return to the Rogers Centre for Game 6 on Friday night, where the anticipation at the ticket prices will again be sky high.
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Toronto’s tested formula worked: Solid pitching, timely contributions, and one dinger.
The Jays didn’t deliver the fatal shot down the thermal exhaust port of the Death Star Dodgers, but they have breached the outer defences.
Ohtani, who in his last playoff appearance on the mound finished off the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series with a 10-strikeout, three-homer performance, was dazzling in flashes.
Through six innings, he had six strikeouts and was his usual freakish self, casually baffling Toronto batters with his assortment of devastating pitches.
But he also had one blemish: a two-run home run from Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., in the third inning that felt absolutely massive in the moment. It was an adrenaline shot to the heart of a team that was not showing a lot of life.
The Jays had failed to score in the final 11 innings of Game 3, and the fear was that Ohtani would throw up another pile of blanks.
Instead, Guerrero lashed a breaking ball over the left-field fence, proof that the Jays would not go quietly again.
And proof that Ohtani, praise be, was actually human. Superhuman, sure, but it was a start.
It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the Jays really started doing that Jays things. Daulton Varsho worked Ohtani for a single and then Ernie Clement rocked a low fastball off the left-field wall to put two runners on.
That blast chased the Japanese superstar from the game and gave Toronto another chance to do the damage against a shaky Dodgers bullpen that they couldn’t do a day earlier.
They did it this time: Andres Gimenez plopped a run-scoring single into left field, and pinch hitter Ty France plated another run with a ground-ball out.
Two guys who wouldn’t be among the top 10 hitters that Jays fans would expect to come through in crucial at-bats had done exactly that, stretching the Toronto lead to three.
Bo Bichette and Addison Barger, two guys who absolutely would be on the short list of players that Jays fans expect to get big hits, followed with singles to make it a 6-1 game.
It was, Scheider would say after the game, “A Jays inning, you know what I mean?”
And we did know what he means. The Blue Jays had more innings of at least four runs scored than any team in baseball this season.
This is what they do. Their pitchers keep them in games and their offence wears people out.
Shane Bieber, the trade-deadline addition who started for the Jays, did more than just keep them in it: He was stellar, and even struck out Ohtani, who had reached base 11 consecutive times, a World Series record, twice.
The first one of which was up there with Guerrero’s homer in vibes-related importance.
It sent the message that the Jays would not simply surrender to Ohtani’s greatness. If you cut him, he will bleed.
The Dodgers, it is worth recalling, came into the World Series with a 9-1 playoff record.
They had swept the Brewers, who had the best record in baseball, in four games, allowing just four runs. Total.
The Jays were on the verge of being just another speed bump. That 18-inning loss, in which Toronto blew what felt like countless chances to score, would have buckled most teams.
But not this one. The Blue Jays have been proving doubters wrong all season. Why stop now? On Tuesday night, they were at their relentless, undeniable best.
Put those shovels down, everyone. The Jays, and this World Series, are still alive.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a simple message to Quebec doctors amid their ongoing compensation dispute with the provincial government: “Call me.”
“Call 1-800-Doug Ford, all the docs and come by, call me on my cellphone, it’s on the internet, people are taking advantage of it now,” Ford said Wednesday. “Come by and we’ll have you working real quick. I’d love to see the doctors, nurses, would like to see anyone in health care come to Ontario because we’re a growing community.”
The premier’s comments come amid an ongoing dispute doctors are having with the Quebec government over a controversial bill that changes how they’re paid.
In response, Premier Francois Legault said late Wednesday Ford’s comments were “totally unacceptable,” adding the Ontario premier was showing “a complete lack of judgment.”
Legault said his government is trying to bring significant changes to the health system, a delicate and emotional issue, particularly for doctors.
“We all have major challenges in improving our health care systems in all provinces,” Legault said. “This is not the time for provinces to be undermining each other. It’s time to work together.”
Bill 2 was passed over the weekend in Quebec, which will see a portion of doctors’ compensation linked to performance targets related to the number of patients, particularly vulnerable ones, they care for.
Legault called a special session to rush through the bill, which imposes fines of up to $20,000 per day on doctors who take “concerted action” to challenge the government’s policies.
Such actions could include groups of three or more doctors refusing to teach medical students or deciding to leave the public health system or move to another province.
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Doctors say the bill amounts to a pay cut and medical specialists on Tuesday said they’re planning a legal challenge, saying it violates individual freedom.
Despite the threat of fines for leaving the province, some have already been considering a move.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario told Global News in an email that as of Wednesday, it has received 70 applications for licensure since Oct. 23 from physicians from Quebec. The CPSO said the applications were for either a restricted or independent practice certificate in the province.
“These applications for licensure are currently in progress for the indicated period in 2025; some may be withdrawn or cancelled, so the number does not necessarily reflect the number of physicians who will ultimately be granted a certificate of registration from CPSO,” said a spokesperson for the college.
It added the data does not disclose reasons for the doctors to seek licensure to practice in the province.
For context, the CPSO said it received 19 applications between June 1 and Oct. 22.
Quebec doctors have also been eyeing New Brunswick as another option.
According to New Brunswick’s College of Physicians, the number of Quebec doctors seeking to obtain a licence in the Maritime province was in the low single digits all year. There were three in January, for example, and three in August.
So far this month, that number has spiked to 34.
Vitalite Health Network has also published a new Facebook advertisement, encouraging Quebec doctors to move to the Maritime province and the network says it’s received formal expressions of interest.
“Quebec doctors are continuing to look at New Brunswick as a healthy place to work, be respected, work across teams,” said New Brunswick Health Minister John Dornan.
Though Dornan added no one should be trying to attract already established doctors with incentives like higher pay, but said if people decide to come because they’ve showcased what the province has it’s “perfectly acceptable.”
While some doctors have started looking to other provinces, medical organizations like the Canadian and Ontario Medical Associations are raising concerns.
“When there is a shortage right across Canada, where one in five do not have access to a primary care provider, physician, or nurse practitioner, there’s a great need to keep as many of the physicians you have within every province practicing and enjoying their practice and being able to give their best to patients,” said Dr. Margot Burnell, president of the Canadian Medical Association.
A spokesperson with the Ontario Medical Association echoed Burnell’s sentiments.
“There is a doctor shortage across Canada, and all patients deserve access to physician care,” the OMA wrote. “The OMA has been working with the government to improve physician mobility across Canada, but we do not want to compromise the ability of Canadians to access care by fixing a problem in one province by creating an issue in another.”
Asked what would be the selling points for doctors to come to Ontario, Ford told reporters they’d “roll out the red carpet for you.”
“We’ve already hired over 16,000 doctors, we’re paying for their education in medical school, we’re adding more medical schools,” Ford said. “But the seasoned veteran docs, best quality of life you’ve ever have come by. We’ll roll out the red carpet for you.”
Ford added that Ontario has a “rich” Francophone culture, saying Ontario has more than 600,000 Francophones.
—with files from Global News’ Rebecca Lau, Anna Mandin and Suzanne Lapointe and The Canadian Press
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
The LCBO has pleaded guilty and been fined $80,000 after a worker was critically injured while operating a lift truck during a training session at a warehouse in London, Ont.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the incident happened on June 20, 2022, when workers were being trained to use a powered pallet lift truck.
Investigators found that the session was being led by a seasonal worker who was not certified to train others.
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The trainer had experience using the equipment but gave only a brief overview, assuming participants had already completed theoretical training. The trainer proceeded to give an incomplete overview of how to complete a visual and operational inspection based on the employer’s checklist and manufacturer’s manual.
During the exercise, one worker operating the machine for the first time lost control and struck a steel storage rack, suffering a critical injury.
The ministry said the LCBO failed to provide proper information, instruction and supervision, violating a section of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Following a guilty plea in London’s Provincial Offences Court, the $80,000 fine was imposed on Aug. 28, 2025.
The court also added a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which goes to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
TORONTO – Collin Murray-Boyles doesn’t think he’s had his “welcome to the NBA” moment just yet, but he’ll never forget the first time he tangled with the Houston Rockets.
Murray-Boyles started for the first time in his NBA career on Wednesday, playing at centre for the Toronto Raptors in a 139-121 loss to Houston. That meant playing defence against former leading scorer Kevin Durant, former all-star Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., backup centre Steven Adams, all of whom are over six-foot-10.
“That’s a great challenge, especially early on, especially for this team, going up against a team that’s going to make it really deep in the playoffs,” said Murray-Boyles. “You never know what type of lineup you’re going to go up against every night.
“Going up against a supersized line like this showed us what we need to do better, what we did good, and we can watch and see how we can improve.”
Murray-Boyles was taken ninth overall by Toronto in this summer’s NBA Draft. The six-foot-seven 20-year-old has only played in three games so far this season.
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Although Durant — a surefire Hall of Famer who has been named an all-star 15 times — would theoretically be the toughest Rockets player for Murray-Boyles to guard, it was Adams who caught his attention.
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“Steven Adams is insanely strong. My wrists are sore right now. I’m trying to box him out and tussle with him and it’s impossible,” said Murray-Boyles, rubbing his forearms. “I didn’t think it was like that. Nobody gets over his screens.
“I was asking him what his routine is mid game. It’s insane. It’s insane. There’s him and then you have to worry about him and KD. It’s crazy what they got.”
Murray-Boyles’s first-ever NBA start was necessary as Jakob Poeltl, Toronto’s usual starting centre, was ruled out hours before the opening tip-off with lower back stiffness. Murray-Boyles finished with 13 points and two assists over 25 minutes, briefly getting benched after he got four personal fouls.
“We had to start Collin, Collin played in just his third game and he was already starting in the game tonight,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “Without Jak, who’s supposed to help us with rebounding, and controlling the paint, and then do all of that, it puts all the guys in different roles on our second unit.
“(The reserves) are still searching for those combinations, and how those guys can help each other. I think their energy is good. They really trying in games like today, they’re just smaller. They punked us on the glass.”
At different points in the night, Houston was able to put five players out on the court who are all over six-foot-10, at least an inch taller than six-foot-nine Sandro Mamukelashvii, Toronto’s tallest healthy player.
The size advantage held by Smith (6-11), Durant (6-10), Sengun (6-11), Adams (6-11), and Clint Capela (6-10) over the entire Raptors roster allowed them to out-rebound the hosts 53-22.
Houston also outscored the Raptors 66-36 in the paint and the Rockets bench had 37 points to Toronto’s reserves getting 23.
“That’s what comes with it. You’ve got to be more gritty,” said Murray-Boyles. “They had all five crashing sometimes, we had three, two, but we never had all five crashing.
“Some of that falls on me. But we’ve got to be more gritty on the rebounds, try to be as physical as possible throughout the whole game, not giving them anything easy around the rim.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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