If the Toronto Blue Jays’ Game 1 win of the World Series had fans roaring and thumping their heads, Game 2 had been all about disbelief. Bo Bichette, who is fresh off a seven-week knee layoff, had finally made his successful return at second base and went 1 for 2 with a walk and sparked that jaw-dropping nine-run sixth inning. You’d expect him to be there in Game 2, but no!

John Schneider decided to slide Bichette to the bench! And expectedly, that ignited criticism.

Nick Gosse of Jay’s Digest didn’t hold back. “If he can bat in any capacity, put him in there. Put him in DH if you have to. I think you need this guy. Like, yes, they got to Blake Snell. They got to the bullpen of the Dodgers. Maybe there’s a world yesterday where Bichette comes up instead of Alejandro Kirk in that first inning and they drive in three runs. They drive in one run, two run. Changes the outlook of the game… I don’t love that decision.”

The manager opted to give the start to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and when questioned, even tried to keep things cool by insisting that pacing Bichette after the long injury layoff was needed.

“I don’t want to say it was part of the plan, just gauging how he was feeling. He’ll be ready to play for sure if needed.” But that plan surely backfired, as they lost to the Dodgers, and now Blue Jays loyalists are calling out this bizarre decision.

Bichette, too, answered when asked if he would be there in Game 2.

“It’s not my job.”

But given that he wrapped up the regular season with a .311 batting average, led the Toronto Blue Jays with 181 hits, and has been a postseason spark all year long, fans expect him to be there. Benching him almost felt like a crime to the momentum.

Toronto for sure had moments to strike early, but then Yamamoto happened.

He retired 20 batters he faced and ensured that Rogers Centre turned into a guessing game nobody could win. The Jays’ lineup, which had been averaging 6.8 runs per game this month, looked helpless against him. And Yamamoto’s antics are what even Schneider accepted.

The series is now tied 1-1, and fans can’t help but grit their teeth and ask—did benching their best weapon at the worst possible moment cost Toronto? Time will tell. For now, the Jays fans are busy booing the Dodgers star.

Toronto Blue Jays fans express their displeasure with Shohei Ohtani

Ohtani, the $700 million two-way superstar who snubbed the Jays to sign with the Dodgers, was met with huge chants of “We don’t need you!” as he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning. These boos did not stop and kept ringing during pregame introductions. The city was hurt over what Ohtani allegedly did to them.

Wasn’t there news of him being on a plane to Toronto to sign the contract?

Even though the boos rang loud, the manager of the Dodgers, Dave Roberts, mentioned that Ohtani barely noticed anything. Before Game 2, he shared, “I don’t think he understood the chants. He’s just a really good compartmentalizer. He’s focused on doing his job. I don’t think it fuels his fire, and I don’t think it necessarily affects him.” Even during the ninth-inning boos, Roberts said Ohtani was too into the game to pay any heed to the Jays fans.

“He was hitting, and it was muddled. I heard it, but he didn’t. He was locked in.”

No one can vouch that he didn’t understand it. Because it was clear last season that Ohtani can very much understand English and also speak it. Sure, he might have been too absorbed in the game to pay attention. His first WS homer came on Friday, a two-run blast to right field off Braydon Fisher, though it came with the Los Angeles Dodgers ending at 11-4. But then Game 2, they evened it out.

As for Ohtani, even though those fans may have expressed their bitterness, his presence continues to electrify the sport.

Rob Manfred exclaimed, “Shohei, it just absolutely has been the greatest benefit to the game that you can imagine throughout the year. In the LCS, he had probably the greatest game of all time, and we’re fortunate to have him here in the World Series.”

Toronto may boo or chant, but Ohtani is a star whose shine they seemingly can’t fade!