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If being a Toronto Blue Jays fan wasn’t difficult enough over the past week, the best player in baseball added insult to injury Monday night. The World Series rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers quickly fell flat, as Shohei Ohtani and company crushed five home runs in their return to Rogers Centre, routing the Blue Jays 14-2. The game became so out of hand that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts turned to infielder Miguel Rojas to pitch the ninth inning to preserve the bullpen. Miguel Rojas makes his return to Toronto … Only this time he’s on the mound! pic.twitter.com/bJZuCKPpxI — MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2026 Ohtani and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto appeared to find some humour in the move, so after the final out, they made their way to the mound, where they appeared to mimic Rojas’ pitching mechanics. A clip of the moment, shared by the Dodgers on X, drew some criticism from Blue Jays fans. Who did it better? Shohei or Yoshinobu? pic.twitter.com/Slvku8TEPO — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 7, 2026 "They are dancing on our grave right now," one fan wrote on X . "First, the Dodgers beat the snot out of them, then they mock the Blue Jays by messing around on their mound," another added . Some fans have labelled Ohtani’s actions as "disrespectful," especially given the circumstances following a blowout Blue Jays defeat. The response also likely stems from the frustration around Ohtani’s decision in free agency , when Toronto was seen as a serious contender before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers for 10 years and $700 million in 2023. Ohtani was booed repeatedly during the game by Blue Jays fans. Regardless of Ohtani's intent, the pitcher’s mound holds sacred significance in baseball, especially for the home team. It’s comparable to the midfield logo in football or the centre court in basketball—both areas that carry a lot of symbolic weight. The Blue Jays will try for a better outcome on Tuesday night with MLB strikeout leader Kevin Gausman on the mound. Ohtani is expected to pitch for the Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon.
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