A Bo Bichette three-run homer has the Toronto Blue Jays leading the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 at the end of the fourth innings in Sunday’s decisive game seven of the World Series.
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With so much on the line, tensions bubbled over in the bottom of the fourth after Dodgers relief pitcher Justin Wrobleski hit Andres Gimenez, seeing the benches clear.
Wrobleski had just missed hitting Gimenez on his previous two pitches and when he finally connected with the third, it led to both teams coming together in heated scenes.
Gimenez had words for Wrobleski, who appeared to mouth “f*** you, motherf***er”, with the umpires eventually issuing a warning but not tossing any of the players.
It came after Shohei Ohtani, who was starting pitcher for Sunday’s game, drew the ire of Blues Jay manager John Schneider after milking the pitch clock between innings.
According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, Ohtani didn’t get to the mound until 45 seconds were left on the timer.
“That was shocking to me that they allowed him to have that many warm-up pitches when he was that late to the mound. I’m sure they made an exception,” FOX announcer John Smoltz said on the broadcast.
FOX later crossed to umpire Mark Carlson from the replay centre who said the amount of time a player receives is at the discretion of the umpire, although Schneider later called the delay “egregious” in a mid-inning interview.
MLB rules state that “umpires may provide extra time if warranted by special circumstances.”
The Dodgers confirmed the decision to start Ohtani on Sunday after manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the club’s series-extending game six victory that every pitcher on the roster except Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be available for the do-or-die clash.
Ohtani, who is currently on a $700 million deal (AU$1 billion) across 10 years, pitched six innings and threw 93 pitches in a game four defeat and will be taking the mound on three days’ rest for the first time since 2023.
The Blue Jays, meanwhilee, sent three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to the mound.
Scherzer started the last World Series game seven for Washington when the Nationals vanquished the Houston Astros.
Toronto’s Rogers Centre promises to be electric after fans there were left stunned by the Dodgers’ 3-1 triumph in a tight game six — in which a spectacular game-ending double play in the bottom of the ninth inning finally extinguished the home team’s hopes.
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The Blue Jays had the tying runs in scoring position in an eventful final frame that included a ground rule double by Addison Barger that lodged under the bottom edge of the outfield wall.
The Blue Jays are trying to cap a remarkable rise from last place in the American League East division in 2024 with their first title since they won back-to-back World Series crowns in 1992 and 1993.
After pipping the New York Yankees for the division title, they knocked out the Yankees in the AL division series, then rallied from 0-2 down to beat the Seattle Mariners in the AL championship series.
They shook off an agonising 18-inning game three defeat in Los Angeles to win the next two games and return home with a 3-2 series lead, but came up short in their first chance to clinch.
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