Ohtani Warmups Draw Scrutiny in Game 7

Extended between-at-bat warm-ups by Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani during Game 7 drew scrutiny and prompted Blue Jays manager John Schneider to confront home-plate umpire Jordan Baker. Fox rules analyst Mark Carlson and the umpires defended the extra time as permissible discretion for a two-way player, and commentators including John Smoltz weighed in on the debate over fairness versus safety. The dispute coincided with a momentum shift when Bo Bichette hit a pivotal three-run homer in the third inning, after which Ohtani was removed from the mound. Ohtani also became the first pitcher since 1975 to record a hit while starting a Game 7. Toronto’s pitching helped carry the Blue Jays through the series — Trey Yesavage struck out 12 over seven innings in Game 5 and Kevin Gausman notched early strikeouts — and Shane Bieber earned a World Series win after spending at least the first four months of the season on the injured list. Dodgers closer Tyler Glasnow recorded an unusual two-batter save under high-leverage conditions.