Shohei Ohtani follows historic 2-way show with World Series homer, but Dodgers routed by Jays

TORONTO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani followed his two-way show for the ages with a homer in the Dodgers' World Series opener, but he also grounded out with the bases loaded in Los Angeles' 11-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

With LA trailing 11-2 in the seventh inning, Ohtani hit a soaring two-run shot to right field off Braydon Fisher. It was his fourth homer in two games after connecting three times and striking out 10 as a pitcher in a Game 4 win to clinch the Dodgers' NL Championship Series.

Ohtani's homer Friday didn't do much for Los Angeles' chances after a flop by the Dodgers' pitchers. Starter Blake Snell was knocked out of the game before getting an out in the sixth inning, and Toronto then pummeled the bullpen during a nine-run sixth highlighted by Addison Barger's pinch-hit grand slam and Alejandro Kirk's two-run homer.

Ohtani also missed an earlier chance to impact the game with his two-out, bases-loaded groundout in the second inning. Los Angeles led 1-0 at that point. He finished 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Blue Jay fans booed Ohtani loudly during pregame introductions. Before signing a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-way star met with Blue Jays officials on Dec. 4, 2023, at the team’s spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida. Toronto manager John Schneider joked Thursday that he wanted Ohtani to return a Blue Jays hat and a jacket for his dog, Decoy, that he took after that meeting.

Fans chanted “We don't need you!” at Ohtani while he batted in the ninth inning. He walked in that at-bat, then was nearly picked off a moment later by left-hander Eric Lauer with two outs. Ohtani was ruled safe after a video review.

“Don’t poke the bear," Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt warned about the Ohtani chants.

Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement said it was all in good fun.

“I couldn't help but laugh,” Clement said. “We have the guys we have, and the guys we have have done a hell of a job. I don't think we need any more of what we have right now.”

Ohtani helped lead the Dodgers to last year’s title, hitting .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases.

Toronto's George Springer said everybody heard the chant.

“At the end of the day, Shohei Ohtani is an unbelievable baseball player. Any team that he would be on, it would be awesome. But he's over there and not here,” Springer said. “He's one the best baseball players ever, and he's got 15 years to go.”

Back to pitching in a limited role this season as he returned from elbow surgery, he batted .282 with 55 homers, 102 RBIs and 20 steals while going 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 62 in 47 innings. He's expected to start Game 3 or 4 on the mound.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani leans away from an inside pitch as Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk makes the catch during the seventh inning in Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) waits in the dugout ahead of the top of the seventh inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with Tommy Edman (25) after hitting a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning of Game 1 of baseball's World Series in Toronto, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning in Game 1 of baseball's World Series, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.'s home secretary on Wednesday urged the head of one of the country's leading police forces to resign following a report on how fans from Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from a match against Premier League side Aston Villa in Birmingham last year.

Shabana Mahmood told lawmakers that the independent report found “a failure of leadership” on the part of West Midlands Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford, adding that he "no longer has my confidence.”

The ban came at a time of heightened concerns about antisemitism in Britain following a deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue and calls from Palestinians and their supporters for a sports boycott of Israel over the war with Hamas in Gaza.

The decision to ban Maccabi fans from the match with Aston Villa on Nov. 6 was widely criticized, including by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

West Midlands Police said at the time it had deemed the match to be high risk “based on current intelligence and previous incidents,” including violence and hate crimes that took place when Maccabi played Ajax in Amsterdam last season.

Guildford did not immediately comment on the report Wednesday.

Mahmood said the report by the chief inspector of constabulary, Andy Cooke, found that West Midlands Police had overstated the threat posed by Maccabi fans while understating the potential risks to them, and “conducted little engagement with the Jewish community" before a decision was taken.

She said the report noted that "the force sought only the evidence to support their desired position to ban the fans.” The report did not find the police force was antisemitic.

Mahmood also noted a police reference at the time to a nonexistent match between Maccabi and Premier League side West Ham in 2023, which was deemed to be an “AI hallucination.” Guildford previously denied that AI was to blame for that error but apologized for it Wednesday ahead of the report’s publication.

Mahmood said she didn't have the power to fire Guildford herself as a result of a policy change by the previous Conservative government in 2011, but she was looking to reinstate that power to home secretaries. Currently, locally elected police and crime commissioners have that power.

FILE - Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, is reflected as Britain's Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood speaks to members of the Jewish community at the Community Security Trust (CST) in north west London, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (Carlos Jasso, Pool Photo via AP, file)

FILE - Maccabi Tel Aviv's fan is escorted by police ahead of the Europa League soccer match between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Birmingham, England, Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples, file)