Erika Kirk honors Charlie’s legacy in emotional first campus appearance since his assassination
Erika Kirk walked onto the stage at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Wednesday night to a packed house for her first Turning Point USA campus appearance since the murder of her husband, Charlie Kirk.
“It’s hard not to cry after watching,” she said of the video tribute that played before she took the microphone. “I haven’t seen that… that video since that day happened.”
“Being on campus right now for me is a spiritual reclaiming of territory,” she said. “There is a lot of symbolism in today. It’s Wednesday, seven weeks. And the more that I am coming to grips with the permanency of this nightmare, the more that I am starting to realize and witness that the enemy, he doesn’t want you.”
He wants your territory. He wants your influence. And I could just hear Charlie in my heart. I could hear him say, ‘Go reclaim that territory, babe. Go — the battles that God’s love conquers.’ And that’s why I’m here today,” she added.
TURNING POINT USA ELECTS ERIKA KIRK AS NEW CEO, CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION
Erika thanked the students who filled the arena, many wearing ‘Freedom’ T-shirts like the one she wore at the podium. “You have no idea how helpful it is to have all of you in my life, because you help me feel even more deeply connected to my husband,” she told them.
She recalled how Charlie made a point at every Turning Point USA event to stop and talk with student leaders. “He would ask you what your name is, what you’re studying, what issues are going on on campus,” she said. “He wanted you to know he was investing in you: into your chapter, into your school. That was a pulse point for him.”
“Earn your voice,” she urged. “You are the courageous generation. That’s what you are. All of you, Gen Z, you are the courageous generation. Make him proud.”
WHO IS ERIKA KIRK?: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE LATE CHARLIE KIRK’S WIDOW FROM THEIR LOVE STORY TO HIS LEGACY
“I lost my friend. I lost my best friend,” she said. “If you’re nervous about standing up for the truth, the murder of my husband puts into perspective all those fears. My husband never went with the flow. He believed the harder path was always the right one, because comfort doesn’t change the world.”
She shared for the first time with the audience present that for weeks after Charlie’s murder she avoided their bedroom at home.
“It took me a while to even just make it back into our bedroom,” she said. “I used to sprint from the opening door into the bathroom and sprint out. I was not ready to walk into our bedroom yet, and when I was finally able to sleep in our bed for the first time, I slept on his side of the bed.”
ERIKA KIRK SAYS LATE HUSBAND’S DEATH SPARKED ‘REVIVAL’ AT ARIZONA MEMORIAL
From that spot, she said, she finally saw what Charlie saw every morning, the framed words on the wall: “They will be known by the boldness of their faith.”
“He saw that every single morning he woke up,” Erika said. “I didn’t, because I was on the other side, facing the window. But from his side, that’s what he saw first.”
On his desk, she added, were three questions Charlie had written out and asked himself each day: “What is something I can do for someone today? What is something I can do to add value to the world today? How can I honor God today?”
“Those were his action points for courage,” Erika said. “Ask yourself those questions every day, and I promise you, you will get courage. What death amplifies even more is that you only get one life. So live like it matters.”
“Love your family fearlessly. Love your spouse fearlessly. Love this country,” she said. “Defend her and serve our God. And don’t think that it’s someone else’s role to do it. You do it. You do it.” The audience broke into applause.
“This moment can either be your breaking point or your wake-up call,” she said. “Essentially, your turning point.”
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She then introduced Vice President JD Vance, a friend of her late husband, calling him someone who “understands the fight that we’re up against and can articulate that in a way that transcends race and background.”
“There will never be another Charlie,” she said, “but I know he’d be proud to see us here tonight.”
DHS official exposes truth about arrested illegal immigrant NBC ‘refused’ to report
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pushed back Wednesday at a local NBC News affiliate’s report on an arrested illegal immigrant in California.
On Saturday, NBC Bay Area reported that federal agents arrested 42-year-old Gerardo in San Jose as he was leaving for work.
“According to the family’s Ring video, Gerardo was in his black truck at 7:45 a.m., about to head out to his construction job when multiple people, who appear to be federal officers, approached his truck and yelled for him to get out,” the report read.
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It continued, “His wife, Idalia, who says she is a U.S citizen, ran to the truck to try to stop the arrest. She said a woman, not in uniform, hit her 22-year-old daughter with a baton – the incident, however, is not shown on the footage.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, however, wrote on X that the local affiliate did not report the full details on the arrested suspect.
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“Of course @NBCNews refuses to tell the American public that this illegal alien from Mexico has a rap sheet that includes: lewd and lascivious acts with a CHILD, battery of a spouse, domestic battery, compensation for prostitution, felony reentry after removal,” McLaughlin wrote.
In a longer statement to Fox News Digital, McLaughlin confirmed that ICE officers arrested Gerardo Rojas-Leyva, an illegal immigrant from Mexico with a history of battery. McLaughlin said that Rojas-Leyva did not provide identification and resisted arrest, forcing an officer to deploy a taser and handcuff him.
“Rojas-Leyva’s criminal history includes lewd and lascivious acts with child of 14-15 years old, battery of a spouse, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse/cohabitant, and proving compensation for prostitution,” McLaughlin said. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”
Fox News Digital reached out to NBC for comment.
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McLaughlin previously attacked NBC over a report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents used a 5-year-old girl with autism to pressure her father, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, to surrender. She called the report a “disgusting smear” of ICE agents.
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“Keep in mind, these men and women of ICE are fathers and mothers, and they are sons and daughters. These are people who just want to go home to their families at night and serve our great nation,” McLaughlin said on “Fox & Friends.”
Trump orders immediate US nuclear testing, defends move after meeting with Xi Jinping
President Donald Trump announced that he has ordered the United States to resume nuclear weapons testing “immediately,” saying he directed the Department of War to match other nations’ programs. He called the move a necessary step to maintain global parity.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Wednesday night: “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office.”
“Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years,” Trump said. “Because of other countries’ testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after a high-stakes meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump said it was a response to other nations’ recent actions.
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“It had to do with others — they seemed to all be nuclear testing. We have more nuclear weapons than anybody. We don’t do testing. We halted it many years ago, but with others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” Trump said.
Trump declined to provide details on where and when testing might take place when pressed for the information.
“It’ll be announced. You know, we have test sites. It’ll be announced,” he said.
Trump also said he did not believe that resuming U.S. nuclear tests could make the global environment more dangerous.
“I don’t think so. I think we have it pretty well locked up,” he said. “But we have more than anybody, and I see them testing. I say, well, they’re testing, we have to test too. I’d like to see a deneutralization … because we have so many. Russia’s second and China’s third. China will catch up within four or five years. I think de-escalation, or denuclearization, would be tremendous. We’re actually talking to Russia about that, and China would be added to that if we do something.”
The announcement comes days after Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. has a nuclear submarine stationed “right off their shores.” The warning followed Russia’s recent missile tests.
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Trump made the comments during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday morning, saying the U.S. is “not playing games” with Putin.
“Russia said this week that they’ve tested a new missile that can go more than 8,000 miles. Is that saber-rattling for you? What is that?” a reporter asked.
“I know we have a nuclear submarine, the greatest in the world, right off their shores. So, I mean, it doesn’t have to go 8,000 miles, and they’re not playing games with us. We’re not playing games with them either,” Trump responded.
“We test missiles all the time. But, you know, we do have a submarine, a nuclear submarine. We don’t need to go 8,000 miles. And I don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for Putin to be saying either, by the way. You ought to get the war ended. A war that should have taken one week is now in its soon [to be] fourth year. That’s what you ought to do instead of testing missiles,” he added.
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Trump later hinted he may impose additional sanctions on Russia, telling reporters simply, “You’ll find out.”
Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday it successfully tested a nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, claiming it can travel more than 8,000 miles and pierce defense systems. Putin said Russia is moving to deploy the weapon.
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Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, told Putin the missile traveled 8,700 miles and remained airborne for about 15 hours during its October 21 test.
FBI arrests Turning Point table flipper for alleged threats against Trump
FIRST ON FOX: A former teaching assistant who was fired by Illinois State University was arrested in a joint operation by FBI and Secret Service agents on Tuesday.
Derek Lopez, 27, has been charged with threatening President Donald Trump, according to the bureau.
“The arrest follows a month-long investigation coordinated with the above agencies, which also included the Illinois State University Police Department, regarding Lopez’s online and in-person activities,” according to an FBI memo obtained by Fox News Digital. “Lopez is alleged to have recently made threats against a sitting President, which prompted the current federal charges.”
He made his first court appearance on Wednesday afternoon.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the alleged threats as “heinous.”
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“The threats against President Trump allegedly posted by this individual are heinous and have no place in American society,” he told Fox News Digital. “Let this be a message to all who consider threats of violence not just against public officials, but any American, that this FBI will find you and bring you to justice. I want to thank our local partners, the El Paso PD in Illinois, as well as USSS who assisted us with this case.”
Lopez, who was a graduate student, was fired from his role as a teaching assistant at Illinois State University after a viral video showed him flipping over a table that belonged to Turning Point USA chapter members on campus.
He was seen in the video speaking to a man next to where the conservative group was promoting an upcoming appearance by political comedian Alex Stein.
UNIVERSITY FIRES TURNING POINT USA TABLE FLIPPER FROM TEACHING ASSISTANT ROLE AFTER CAMPUS OUTBURST
“Well, you know, Jesus did it, so you know I gotta do it, right?” Lopez told the man before flipping the table over.
“Thanks guys, have a great day,” he said before walking away.
“While Illinois State University does not comment specifically on personnel matters, we can confirm Derek Lopez has been relieved of his duties as a graduate teaching assistant pending further investigation,” the school confirmed on Oct. 20.
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Lopez had already been arrested by local police for the table-flipping incident. He was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.
Illinois State University declined to comment.
Hollywood producer gets 146 years as fallen hero cop’s rape claim surfaces
A Hollywood producer sentenced Wednesday for the deaths of two women who were drugged and dumped at Los Angeles hospitals was also previously accused by a deceased police officer of rape.
Lauren Craven, 25, of La Mesa, California, was one of seven women who said David Pearce raped them, the New York Post reported. The revelation came in court as Pearce received a 146-year prison sentence for the 2021 deaths of model Christy Giles, 24, and Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola, 26.
Craven was struck and killed by a vehicle last week as she tried to help people trapped in an overturned car on a freeway.
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Los Angeles County prosecutors revealed the information about Craven’s allegations as a judge handed down Pearce’s sentence.
Craven died just two weeks after her 25th birthday. She was returning to La Mesa from the San Diego Central Jail when she came upon a collision on Interstate 8, according to the La Mesa Police Department.
“After exiting her vehicle to assist, she was tragically struck and killed by another motorist,” the police department said in a Facebook post. “Officer Craven’s actions in her final moments exemplified her unwavering dedication to service and the safety of others — a reflection of how she lived every day.”
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Craven had been identified only as “Jane Doe No. 5” during Pearce’s trial, the Post reported. Pearce faced charges not only for the fatal druggings but also in connection with seven rape victims — spanning from 2007 to 2021 — who came forward after his arrest, according to prosecutors.
On Nov. 13, 2021, Giles and Cabrales-Arzola met Pearce, along with Brandt Osborne and Michael Ansbach, at a warehouse party in East Los Angeles, police said. They later returned to Pearce’s nearby home, where he provided GHB — commonly known as a “date rape drug” — and fentanyl to the group.
Several hours later, the women were captured on surveillance video being dropped off at separate hospitals by masked men driving a car with no license plates, according to prosecutors.
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Giles was pronounced dead after staff members found her body outside Southern California Hospital in Culver City. Cabrales-Arzola was resuscitated after being dropped off 2 miles away at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Hospital, where she died 11 days later.
Michael Douglas reveals wife’s absence as daughter wears mom’s vintage dress
Catherine Zeta-Jones’ daughter Carys Zeta Douglas borrowed another iconic look from her mother’s closet.
Zeta-Jones’ lookalike daughter, 22, posed on the red carpet in her lace-accented black dress — a frock the movie star wore 20 years ago to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Zeta Douglas was joined by her father, Michael Douglas, at the PAC NYC Icons of Culture Gala.
Although Zeta-Jones was not with them on the carpet, Zeta Douglas paid tribute to her mom with the borrowed dress.
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Douglas told People Zeta-Jones couldn’t make it to the event because “she’s working,” adding: “I’m sorry Catherine’s missing it tonight.”
“I’m very happy that Carys could be with me, just to be with her, but also I’m on the board here at PAC,” he said.
The Brown University graduate styled the vintage dress with pointed black heels and ruby-hued earrings.
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Douglas, 81, wore a black suit with a collared shirt and purple tie for the occasion, posing alongside his daughter on the red carpet Tuesday night.
Zeta-Jones had originally styled the dress in 2005 with black fringed stilettos and a matching clutch, adding a diamond pendant necklace and earrings.
Actress Keira Knightley wore the same dress the year prior to the “King Arthur” premiere, according to Page Six.
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This is not the first time Zeta-Jones’ daughter borrowed one of her designer dresses.
Zeta Douglas wore her mother’s pink and white floral Ungaro dress to celebrate her 21st birthday.
“The Mask of Zorro” actress wore the frock in 1999 to the MTV Movie Awards.
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The aspiring actress told People that she feels “very lucky that I have a wonderful closet that I can pick from,” referring to her mom’s wardrobe.
“I feel I love vintage clothes. I don’t really like to buy. I’m not really into fast fashion stuff, just for sustainability reasons,” she told the outlet.
Zeta Douglas admitted that sometimes she borrows “a little too much” from her mom. “She’s like, ‘Is that my bag?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t think so…'”
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While on the Tuesday night red carpet, Zeta Douglas gave an update on her plans post-college.
She shared that although she got her degree in film and international relations and not acting, she grew up doing theater and hopes to continue pursuing that following graduation.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones, 56, are also parents to son Dylan, who also is a graduate of Brown University.
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, CATHERINE ZETA-JONES’ DAUGHTER CARYS SHARES BIKINI PHOTOS AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION
The actor is also father to Cameron Douglas from his first marriage to Diandra Luker.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones married on Nov. 18, 2000, after meeting two years prior. They briefly split in August 2013 but reconciled the following year.
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Pakistan threatens to ‘obliterate’ Taliban regime as peace negotiations collapse
Pakistan’s defense minister on Wednesday threatened to “obliterate” the Taliban, which controls neighboring Afghanistan, after negotiations toward lasting peace between the two sides failed.
Peace talks wrapped up in Istanbul, Turkey, without a “workable solution,” according to Pakistan Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, which comes after deadly clashes this month. Dozens were killed along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the worst violence in the area since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021.
Negotiations ended with a disagreement over terror groups allegedly using Afghanistan as a base to attack security forces along Pakistan’s border.
“Pakistan does not require to employ even a fraction of its full arsenal to completely obliterate the Taliban regime and push them back to the caves for hiding,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on X.
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The two countries agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Doha, Qatar, on October 19, but they could not find common ground in a second round of talks mediated by Turkey and Qatar in Istanbul, according to Reuters.
Both countries blamed the other for the talks falling apart.
“The Afghan side kept deviating from the core issue … on which the dialogue process was initiated,” Pakistan’s information minister said on Wednesday, accusing the Taliban of engaging in deflection, ruses and playing a “blame game.”
“The dialogue thus failed to bring about any workable solution,” he said.
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A Pakistani security source told Reuters that the Taliban had been unwilling to agree to reining in the Pakistani Taliban, a separate terror group that Pakistan says operates without consequences from inside Afghanistan.
An Afghan source familiar with the talks told the outlet that negotiations ended after “tense exchanges” on the matter, noting that Afghanistan claimed it had no control over the Pakistani Taliban.
The Pakistani Taliban launched attacks against the Pakistani military in recent weeks.
The clashes began earlier this month after Pakistani air strikes targeted the head of the Pakistani Taliban in Kabul and other locations.
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The Taliban retaliated with attacks on Pakistani military posts along the length of the 1,600-mile border that remains closed.
Pakistan’s defense minister said on Saturday that he believed Afghanistan sought peace but that the failure to reach an agreement in Istanbul would mean “open war.”
And despite a ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban, clashes over the weekend resulted in the killings of five Pakistani soldiers and 25 Pakistani Taliban members near the border with Afghanistan.
Angler digging for worms unearths one of country’s biggest medieval treasure troves
A lucky individual in Sweden discovered a cauldron filled with medieval rings, pendants and several thousand coins that were all remarkably well-preserved.
In a translated statement from the County Administrative Board of Stockholm in mid-September, officials said the discovery was made in Stockholm County, home to 26 municipalities.
Authorities described the finder as a “private individual” who was digging for worms to use as fishing bait at the time.
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The cauldron was found near the discoverer’s summer cottage, but officials are keeping the location under wraps until the investigation is complete.
“The finder reported the discovery to the County Administrative Board, and archaeologists are now investigating the site and examining the coins, beads, rings and pendants that make up the hoard,” the statement said.
Images released by officials show a collection of ancient coins and ornate jewelry displayed in a pile.
Authorities described the discovery as an “unusually large and well-preserved silver hoard,” dating back to the early Middle Ages.
The cache weighs six kilograms, or nearly 13¼ pounds, and consists of several thousand coins — possibly as many as 20,000.
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Sofia Andersson, an antiquarian at the County Administrative Board of Stockholm, called the cache “one of the largest silver hoards from the early Middle Ages ever found in Sweden.”
She added, “We don’t yet know exactly how many coins there are, but I believe it could be up to 20,000.
“Most of the objects are well-preserved, though unfortunately the copper cauldron that contained them is not.”
Not only are the coins ancient, but several of them are rare.
One 12th century coin bears an inscription referencing King Knut Eriksson, while another coin from the island of Gotland depicts a church.
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Interestingly, one of the coins features the image of a bishop, which officials highlighted as one of the most extraordinary pieces.
“During the Middle Ages, so-called bishop’s coins were minted in parts of Europe — coins produced on behalf of a bishop,” the statement said. “The hoard contains several such coins depicting a bishop holding a crozier in his right hand.”
The board “will also report the find to the Swedish National Heritage Board, which will decide whether the state will redeem the treasure — that is, compensate the finder.”
Archaeologists are now working to document and study all the coins in the hoard.
The release added, “The County Administrative Board will also report the find to the Swedish National Heritage Board, which will decide whether the state will redeem the treasure — that is, compensate the finder.”
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Andersson commended the person who found the hoard, noting that exchanging such discoveries for government payment is the law in Sweden.
“The finder did exactly the right thing by contacting us at the County Administrative Board,” the official said.
“According to the Cultural Environment Act, anyone who finds an ancient object made of silver or a hoard is required to offer it to the state for redemption in exchange for payment.”
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The Swedish hoard is one of many exceptional coin caches found in Northern Europe in recent years.
In 2023, a plumber in the United Kingdom found a cache of ancient coins in a field and auctioned them off in 2025.
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A British family uncovered a trove of Tudor-era coins in a backyard in 2020, and they are being auctioned in Zurich, Switzerland, in November.
Blue Jays rookie makes history as Toronto pushes Dodgers to the brink with Game 5 victory
Trey Yesavage’s final start of a wild 2025 season, which began in Single-A ball to pitching his second World Series game for the Toronto Blue Jays, ends with a pivotal masterpiece.
Yesavage, the 22-year-old who worked his wall through the Blue Jays’ minor league system to eventually cement himself as a key member of this postseason run, delivered a seven-inning masterclass on the mound at Dodger Stadium to help Toronto defeat Los Angeles, 6-1, in Game 5 of the World Series.
Thanks to the efforts of Yesavage, and some more timely hitting by this Blue Jays lineup, Toronto is heading back north with only one more win needed to win the World Series.
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Yesavage struck out 12 Dodgers hitters and allowed just three hits and one earned run over a 104-pitch performance that saw 10 of those strikeouts in the first five innings of the contest.
The only other person to do that in MLB history? Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax, who was right behind home plate watching Game 5 at Dodger Stadium.
In Game 1, Yesavage didn’t have his go-to pitch, a sharp-dropping splitter, which forced him to use his slider more often than he was used to. As a result, he was touched up by the Dodgers, though the Blue Jays’ own offensive onslaught resulted in a Game 1 victory at home.
This time around, Yesavage had the perfect touch with the pitch and the Dodgers couldn’t figure it out like the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners before them this postseason. Also, the slider was quite complementary with his mid-90s fastball keeping hitters honest at the dish.
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And it also helped that Yesavage had some quick insurance on the scoreboard as his opponent, Blake Snell, allowed two solo home runs on the first three pitches of the game.
First, it was Davis Schneider taking the first pitch he saw over the fence to set the tone immediately for Toronto. Then, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s dream postseason continued as he belted his eighth home run this October to make it 2-0 in favor of the road team in this crucial Game 5.
In the bottom of the third, Yesavage’s only blemish of the game came on a 2-0 count to Enrique Hernandez, who didn’t flinch at a splitter up in the zone. He turned and parked it, as the baseball flew over the left field fence and reenergized the Dodger Stadium crowd that had been lifeless since the Guerrero homer.
But it didn’t last long, as the Blue Jays responded in the next frame. Teoscar Hernandez overplayed a Daulton Varsho hit to right field, and it cost him, as Varsho sprinted all the way to third base. Ernie Clement would hit a sacrifice fly to score him and take the two-run lead back.
As Yesavage kept cruising, the Blue Jays widened the gap necessary to come away with the victory in the top of the seventh when Addison Barger scored on a single and three wild pitches, while Bo Bichette singled home Andres Gimenez to make it a 5-1 ball game. Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single in the top of the eighth was added insurance, as Clement came across to score.
With Yesavage’s night complete, Blue Jays manager John Schneider went to Seranthony Dominguez and closer Jeff Hoffman to shut the door on Game 5, and that’s exactly what they did to give themselves two chances at securing the franchise’s first World Series since 1993.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers, winners of last year’s World Series, have their backs against the wall. They will need to win the next two games to retain their title, and they’ll have the right man on the mound for it.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto seeks his third straight complete game, as he was a much-needed leader in Game 2’s victory for Los Angeles. He will face Kevin Gausman, who had a great performance until giving up some solo homers in Game 2 in Toronto.
First pitch in Game 6 will come on Halloween night in Toronto at 8:08 p.m. ET.