The Baltimore Ravens’ 2025 NFL season hasn’t gone to plan. Regarded as one of the top rosters in the NFL, the Ravens were expected to compete in the AFC all season.

After its bye in Week 7, the team sits at 1-5 and last in the AFC North.

The Ravens lost in Week 1 to Buffalo as the Bills made a late push for victory. They got back on track in Week 2 against Cleveland but dropped their next four games, including a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to Kansas City that kept him out of the final two games before the bye.

Baltimore got run over in those two games, losing by a combined score of 61-13. The Ravens have been hit hard by injuries on both sides of the ball, but losing Jackson may loom largest.

Baltimore is back in action in Week 8 at home against the Chicago Bears. Will the Ravens have their franchise quarterback under center for the game? Here’s what we know:

Lamar Jackson injury update

The Ravens will be without their starting quarterback once again in Week 8 against the Bears. Baltimore confirmed Jackson’s status Saturday.

Tyler Huntley will start for the first time this season against Chicago. Baltimore had previously started Cooper Rush but made a QB change in Week 6 in the loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Huntley returned to the Ravens from the Browns after training camp cuts. He went 10 of 15 passing (66.7%) for 68 yards against the Rams.

The Ravens issued another statement later Saturday explaining the change to Jackson’s status:

Ravens QB depth chart

• Lamar Jackson (injured)
• Tyler Huntley
• Cooper Rush

Rush signed with the Ravens during the offseason and started the year as the No. 2 quarterback. Last year he went 4-4 as a starter for the Dallas Cowboys after Dak Prescott’s injury.

As Oregon football looks to pull out a home win against Wisconsin in a downpour at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, the Ducks are playing a man down.

Oregon first-year starting quarterback Dante Moore exited the game in the third quarter, in the Ducks’ first drive of the second half, after taking a nasty hit to the face at the conclusion of a scramble.

Fox Sports’ Josh Sims reported on the broadcast that Moore spent at least 15 minutes in the medical tent on the sidelines being tended to by members of the Oregon medical staff after leaving the game with blood gushing out of his nose. He remains out as walk-on backup quarterback Brock Thomas is in for him.

Moore, a former top-ranked recruit, has led Oregon to a 6-1 overall record and a 3-1 record in Big Ten play in his first season as the Ducks’ starting quarterback. He completed 9 of 15 passes for 86 yards at the time of his exit.

Here’s the latest on Moore’s injury:

Dante Moore injury update

Moore sustained an apparent face injury in the third quarter of Oregon’s Week 9 game against Wisconsin after taking a hit to the helmet.

Fox Sports 1’s cameras showed Moore standing on the sidelines, still in uniform but without a helmet in his hand later in the third quarter in Eugene.

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TORONTO —The Los Angeles Dodgers won’t say anything publicly and while the bitterness has faded, there still are harsh feelings.

The year was 2021.

Max Scherzer was the best starter on their staff after acquiring him at the trade deadline.

He was going to lead them to their second consecutive World Series title.

Until he didn’t.

Scherzer, who was scheduled to start Game 6 of the 2021 NLCS against Atlanta, instead couldn’t go, saying he needed more time with his tired arm.

Scherzer didn’t pitch that night.

Walker Buehler did.

And the Dodgers’ season ended with Scherzer never having another chance to pitch again in a Dodgers uniform.

Now here comes Scherzer again, this time trying to ruin their opportunity to go back-to-back, pitching Game 3 for the Toronto Blue Jays at Dodger Stadium.

Scherzer, who saved the Blue Jays’ season with a strong outing in Game 4 of the ALCS to beat the Seattle Mariners while trailing 2 games to 1, refuses to look at his start as a chance for revenge. He’s not trying to make up for his last World Series start prematurely ending after three innings for the Texas Rangers in 2023. He’s not trying to show teams that they missed out on signing him this past winter or anything else.

“I wouldn’t characterize it like that,’ Scherzer said Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series. “I’m here to compete. I’m here to win. I wouldn’t be looking backwards at all for any motivation. I have plenty of motivation.

“I’m here to win and I’ve got a clubhouse full of guys who want to win, too. So, we’re a great team and that’s the only thing I need to think about.’

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champon, was brilliant for the Dodgers after being traded by the Washington Nationals in 2021. He went 7-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 regular-season starts for L.A. and yielded a 2.16 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 16⅔ innings in four appearances during the postseason.

He was scheduled to start Game 6 against Atlanta in the NLCS, but said his arm didn’t feel right, and the Dodgers went with Buehler on short rest.

The Dodgers lost, 4-2, and their season was over.

Scherzer went on to sign a three-year, $130 million free agent contract with the New York Mets.

Buehler made 12 starts in 2022, underwent Tommy John surgery, and was done pitching for two years.

Four years later, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is praising Scherzer’s competitiveness.

“Max, he’s one of one,’ Roberts said. “Great competitor. Don’t want to touch him during outings, don’t want to pat him on the back side. Wants to be the guy. I really enjoyed managing a future Hall of Famer.

“He’s very smart. He’s a baseball player first, then a pitcher. It’s very focused. It’s very intentional. He does a lot of his own homework. He’s very prepared. He asks a lot of questions, a lot of it from the hitter’s perspective, which is really smart.’’

And, oh yeah, he can be intense.

They call him Mad Max for a reason.

When Blue Jays manager John Schneider went to the mound in the fifth inning to possibly take him out of the game against the Mariners, Scherzer shooed him away. He wasn’t coming out of that game until he was good and ready.

So when Schneider informed Scherzer that he would be starting Game 3, it was only natural to wonder whether Scherzer actually told him.

“Great question,’ Schneider said. ‘I told him.’

Yet, Schneider acknowledged, Scherzer actually wanted to know when he was starting during their pennant-clinching celebration in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse.

“He was asking what we were doing after Game 7,’ Schneider said, “and I was like, ‘Max, I’m enjoying a beer, man.’ He’s so regimented and wants to know what he’s doing, and the fact he’s been through this too, I’m listening to his feedback as we go.

“He’s stepped on land mines. He’s dodged land mines in a World Series, in a seven-game series.’’

Now, Scherzer has a chance to become the only pitcher to win at least three Cy Young awards and win three World Series titles with three different teams.

He owes a debt of gratitude, he said, to Blue Jays veteran Chris Bassitt, his former teammate with the New York Mets, who convinced him that the Blue Jays were capable of winning a championship after finishing last in the AL East a year ago.

“He has a really good pulse on what this clubhouse and the team needed,’ Scherzer said. “And we were talking kind of throughout the whole offseason. When things started moving in my direction, it just kind of seemed to all click, that getting back with him would be a great thing for me and that this was a team that could really go somewhere. They just needed to make a few adjustments.

“But he was really kind of the eyes and ears of what this team could be.’

Scherzer, 41, struggled most of the season with injuries (5-5, 5.19 ERA), and after going 0-3 with a 10.20 ERA in September, was left off the AL Division Series postseason roster. He returned in the ALCS, and gave up just three hits and two runs in 5⅔ innings against the Mariners, evening the ALCS with an 8-2 victory.

Now, it’s Mad Max’s turn to be on center stage again, pitching in his fourth World Series and the 32nd postseason game of his career.

“I mean, this is what you play for,’ Scherzer said, “to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it. You just think about, throughout your whole life, all the different things that have unfolded, and just so fortunate to have another crack at this.

“There’s so many great players that have never gotten to a World Series, so many great players where they only have one World Series. With [bench coach] Donnie [Mattingly] on our team, you know, he’s gone his whole career and now this is his first moment. I absolutely respect playing in a World Series, what that means, and absolutely cherish these opportunities. So, when I get a chance to get the ball, man, this means everything.’’

And, really, no matter whether this is Scherzer’s swan song, or he plans to continue pitching, this game could be a beautiful bookend to his Hall of Fame scrapbook.

“That’s what’s awesome about baseball at this stage,’ Scherzer said. “You got the two best teams in the world going at each other, with everybody watching, with all the chips on the table. So, that’s what makes you excited as a ball player, that you get this type of opportunity to play in this type of environment.

“There’s nothing like it.

“There’s nothing like it in the world that can give you this type of adrenaline rush.’

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Lionel Messi’s back looked fine. His legs were spry. And his head was on target.

Messi scored two goals, Tadeo Allende added another and No. 3 Inter Miami beat No. 6 Nashville 3-1 in Game 1 of their MLS Cup Playoffs first-round, best-of-three series at Chase Stadium on Friday, Oct. 24.

Messi quickly made his presence felt to spark Inter Miami’s night. He received the MLS Golden Boot Award from commissioner Don Garber before the game, and signed a three-year contract extension with the club one day earlier.

“He certainly seems pretty happy when he’s scoring goals the way he did. And he’ll be very happy to get the Golden Boot. Maybe, there are more awards coming for him in this year,” Garber said of Messi before the game, and the possibility he could win the league MVP award later this postseason.

Messi scored a flying header in the 19th, receiving a pass from Luis Suarez inside the box and took flight. His forehead connected onto the ball to find the back of the net for the 890th goal of his career.

Allende scored in the 62nd minute, following an assist by Ian Fray and Messi to double the lead.

Messi put the icing on the match with a simple putback in the final minutes (90’+6’) for goal No. 891, before Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar scored in the final minutes (90’+11′).

Messi missed a practice session on Tuesday due to some back discomfort, but returned to practice on Wednesday. He also visited Miami Freedom Park, the team’s new stadium expected to open in 2026, where he signed his new contract.

He appeared just fine to fuel Inter Miami’s night.

“Everything that happens around Leo gets blown out of proportion, and often when he reaches the playoffs and the renewal isn’t official, it could cause a bit of a stir. But in our case, nothing would change,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said.

Inter Miami will take a 1-0 series lead to Nashville’s Geodis Park for Game 2 on Saturday, Nov. 1. If Game 3 is necessary, it will return to Inter Miami on Nov. 8.

MLS playoff games don’t count on aggregate score like other soccer leagues around the world.

A win is a win.

And Inter Miami is one step closer to reaching the conference semifinals.

“We know that the playoffs are tough, so we wanted to start with a win at home,” Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said. “I hope this is just the beginning, but I think the team did very well today in terms of intensity, concentration, and understanding the moments, when to attack, when to defend. I think today we showed that we are growing as a team, and that’s the most important thing.”

Added defender Maxi Falcon: “We know it’s five matches to win, and any team can emerge as a champion. It’s a 10-month process, but this win gives us confidence to start.”

Check out updates and highlights from the Inter Miami-Nashville match:

Inter Miami vs. Nashville highlights

Inter Miami 3, Nashville 1: Hany Mukhtar scores goal (90’+11)

Inter Miami 3, Nashville 0: Messi scores again (90’+6′)

Inter Miami 2, Nashville 0: Tadeo Allende scores goal (62’)

Inter Miami has doubled its lead as Tadeo Allende scored a header after an assist from Ian Fray. Messi gets the second assist for the play as well.

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Busquets, De Paul gets yellow cards (56’)

Things are getting chippy here: Sergio Busquets was shown a yellow card after a clearance, which he slid into Nashville’s Edvard Tagseth. Shortly after, Rodrigo De Paul was given a yellow card, despite getting pushed by Nashville’s Sam Surridge (who didn’t receive one).

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Messi free kick results in no handball (52’)

No handball called on a free kick from Messi outside the box in the direction of Luis Suarez.

Halftime: Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0

Messi’s goal in the 19th minute is the early difference in this match. Here’s another replay:

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Luis Suarez misses shots toward net (43’)

Luis Suarez swung his leg twice – once with the right, then the left – connecting with shots that deflected off defenders just before halftime.

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Messi’s shot blocked (36′)

Messi’s left boot was blocked by Nashville’s Walker Zimmerman.

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Ian Fray misses shot on side of the net (32’)

Inter Miami defender Ian Fray made a run up the pitch, and received a through pass from Messi. But Fray’s shot was off the mark.

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Tadeo Allende misses right boot (31’)

Inter Miami’s Tadeo Allende missed a right boot, saved by Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis.

Inter Miami 1, Nashville 0: Messi scores header (18’)

Messi uses his head to connect with a goal in the 18th minute to give Inter Miami an early lead. The finish was superb on an assist from Luis Suarez.

Inter Miami 0, Nashville 0: Jacob Shaffelburg misses shot (11’)

Nashville’s Jacob Shaffelburg missed a decent chance at the net, but his shot from the center of the box was saved by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.

Inter Miami 0, Nashville 0: Messi’s free kick goes into crowd (4’)

Messi’s first chance toward the net soared into the stands, after a free kick early in the match.

Messi poses with Golden Boot Award

Don Garber awards Lionel Messi with MLS Golden Boot award

David Beckham in attendance for Inter Miami vs. Nashville opener

Sir David Beckham, an Inter Miami co-owner, is in attendance for Game 1.

Messi arrives to the stadium before the match

Inter Miami vs. Nashville starting lineups

Messi is a starter for the match. Here are the lineups for both teams:

Is Messi playing today?

Yes, Messi is expected to play. His status will be confirmed when Inter Miami announces its starting lineup an hour before the match.

What time is the Inter Miami vs. Nashville match?

The match begins at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. in Nashville, 9 p.m. in Argentina).

Buy Inter Miami tickets on StubHub

How to watch Inter Miami vs. Nashville on TV and live stream?

The match will be on Apple TV, FS1 and Fox Deportes in the United States.

Watch MLS Cup Playoffs on Apple TV

The latest on Messi’s new deal with Inter Miami

Messi agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2028 to remain with Inter Miami, the club announced on Thursday, Oct. 23.

‘Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to continue here,’ Messi said in a statement as he signed the contract inside Inter Miami’s future stadium, Miami Freedom Park, which is expected to open in 2026.

What happened in the last Inter Miami vs. Nashville match?

Messi scored in the 34th, 63rd and 81st minutes, and assisted Telasco Segovia’s final blow in 90’+1’. Baltasar Rodriguez (67’) also scored for Inter Miami in the 5-2 win.

Sam Surridge, who finished tied for second in the Golden Boot race with 24 goals like LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, scored in the 43rd minute. Jacob Shaffelburg also scored in first-half injury time (45’+6’) for Nashville.

Messi, Inter Miami MLS Cup playoff schedule

• Nov. 1: Game 2 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. ET
• Nov. 8: Game 3 at Inter Miami, Time TBD (if necessary)
• No. 10-18: FIFA international window
• Nov. 22-23: Conference semifinals
• Nov. 29-30: Conference finals
• Dec. 6: MLS Cup Final

NEW YORK – The New York Knickerbockers are tired. But not physically.

They are tired of underachieving, whether expectations were even realistic, year after year. Tired of hearing fans complain about that underachieving, and tired of the media asking about – you guessed it – underachieving.

At the beginning of every season, the question isn’t whether this is the season the Knicks put it together and win a championship, but in what spectacular way the failure is going to be excused.

The counter for some Knicks fans is, “at least we’re not the New York Jets.”

Well, that’s not saying much.

The NFL’s worst team certainly wouldn’t appreciate that snide remark, but New Yorkers expect and demand the best, whether it’s from their sports teams or anything else associated with the five boroughs.

The championship drought is five decades long for both teams, and the Knicks want to make sure the Larry O’Brien Trophy, currently in the possession of the Oklahoma City Thunder, makes its way to midtown Manhattan sooner rather than later.

It’s still very early in the 2025-26 season, but it is evident this version of the Knicks is drastically different from the team Tom Thibodeau trotted out the last five years. For all the good that Thibodeau did, including getting the team to its first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, he was still given the pink slip.

Two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown was brought in to change that narrative and get New York over that ever-expanding hump.

Brown has implemented an up-tempo style designed to get up more 3-point shots, much to the benefit of All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who at times last season was relegated to one-on-five basketball. (He still averaged a career-high in assists.)

That strategy was tested in the first two games against two conference foes, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics, whom the Knicks eliminated last spring in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Not known as a 3-point shooting team, the Knicks fired up 40 from behind the arc in their season opener, a 119-111 victory over Cleveland, and 45 more in a 105-95 win over the Celtics two nights later. Boston is playing without All-Star Jayson Tatum, out with an Achilles injury suffered in the Knicks series.

Brown is also using almost every available body on his bench, going 11- and 10-deep in the first two games, respectively, even without center Mitchell Robinson, who played only 17 games last season and is sidelined as he recovers from ankle surgery. Forward Josh Hart, who didn’t play against Cleveland after a preseason back injury, made his debut against Boston, scoring two points but getting 14 rebounds in just 19 minutes.

“I truly believe this team is a deep team,” Brown said. “We have guys that can play. I like to play a lot of guys. I don’t know if I can play 11 guys every night, but we’d like to play as many as we can. We want everybody ready in case their number is called at any time.”

That rotation means more in-game rest for players like Brunson, the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds against Boston. No Knick played over 38 minutes in the first two games.

“We don’t feel like we’re anywhere near what we’re capable of,’ Brown said. ‘That’s what makes it exciting. Everybody has expectations. I don’t know if their expectations are any higher than everybody in that locker room. We’re good with that. We embrace that.”

For the Knicks to seriously contend for a championship, defense —a hallmark of Thibodeau’s teams —and balanced scoring will be key. It’s the NBA; any player can go off on any night, but Brown wants those players, especially off the bench, to contribute when their name is called.

Brunson echoed that sentiment, reiterating that the season is young and a lot can change.

“We’re going to harp on this idea of the minutes stuff like that, but regardless, we have a lot of players on this team that can make plays and play well,’ said Brunson, who had a game-high 31 points against Boston.

New York’s bench had 35 points in the first game, and only 16 against the Cavaliers.

It’s also in the NBA’s DNA for teams to blow leads. New York was up 17 in the Cleveland game before the Cavs came back and took the lead in the third quarter, and the Knicks nearly squandered a 24-point second-half lead against a depleted Celtics team.   

The Knicks were one of the league’s best shooting teams last year, hitting 49% of their shots. Through two victories, that percentage has dipped down to 41%, but New York dominated both teams on the glass, gaining 21 offensive rebounds for 21 second-chance points against Boston.  

Perhaps Brown said it best after Friday night’s victory. He knows that re-inventing the wheel isn’t the best strategy for beating teams in the league.

“Our guys stayed with it, they didn’t go away from the way we play the game of basketball,” he said.

TORONTO – Addison Barger made World Series history, sent Rogers Centre into bedlam and probably buried the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1. 

Barger greeted lefty reliever Anthony Banda with a 413-foot shot to right center field, the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history and give the Toronto Blue Jays an 11-2 lead as they batted around in the sixth inning. 

Barger has been a postseason hero this October in Toronto but he started Game 1 on the bench with lefty ace Blake Snell starting for the Dodgers. But Snell, who entered with a 0.86 ERA this postseason, did not record an out in the sixth and then the Blue Jays feasted on Dodgers relief. 

Barger’s grand slam was followed by a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. single, shifting Banda into ‘wear it’ mode as the Dodgers look to Game 2.

And then Alejandro Kirk skied a fly to left field that edged over the wall, a two-run homer and the fourth time he reached base in Game 1. 

The Blue Jays’ nine-run sixth was the third-highest scoring inning in World Series history. 

TORONTO — Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, restated his concerns over gambling in sports in the wake of the NBA gambling scandal, emphasized that the union will never agree to a salary cap, and believes that the small and large market teams are separated only by their willingness to want to win.

And, oh, yes, couldn’t help but laugh during his 15-minute media session Friday before Game 1 of the World Series at the notion the Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining baseball.

“The question for me would be who is working to create the narrative,’ Clark said, “that is challenging the excellence that we’re seeing.’

The Dodgers have reached the postseason 13 consecutive years with 12 NL West titles, five pennants and two World Series titles. Even if the Dodgers become the first team since the New York Yankees 25 years ago to win back-to-back titles, Clark dismisses the notion that their dynasty hurts competitive balance.

The Yankees never ruined baseball with their dynasty and Atlanta was applauded for their greatness during their glorious run of 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005. So why should the Dodgers’ run be treated any different?

“In the late 90s, there were repeat champions and I was actually a player at that time,’ Clark said. “The sky was falling as the Yankees repeated. Here we are, nearly 30 years later and the industry has grown exponentially. The idea that there is excellence among the clubs, you tip your hat to those clubs. There’s opportunities for all 30 teams to be excellent.’

When asked if it were possible that the small-market teams are actually making more money than the large-market teams with revenue sharing, Clark took a lengthy pause before answering.

“All 30 teams have the wherewithal to put a very good team on the field,’ Clark said. “We are provided information that is confidential information. We are not allowed to share that information.’

While MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has yet to publicly declare that he wants a salary cap when the CBA expires Dec. 1, 2026, Clark and the union are bracing themselves that MLB will ultimately seek a cap.

“As a ballplayer before every game, I had read the scouting report,’ Clark said, “and then I appreciated what my history was against that particular pitcher that moment, and I prepared accordingly. The commissioner has been in the game for a long time. I’ve been in the game for a long time. … We’ll sit down, as we always do, with an eye on trying to find common ground.’

When asked if there possibly be a salary floor to force teams to spend on their player payroll instead of putting the money into their bank accounts, Clark said he wasn’t going to negotiate their strategy through the media.

“The issues that we see in the system we know can be addressed without a cap,’ Clark said.

It’s unknown whether a potential lockout will affect teams’ spending in free agency this winter, but clubs are quietly bracing themselves for potential losses in a lockout in 2027. The union also is withholding licensing checks to players in preparation of a potential work stoppage.

Meanwhile, gambling in sports raised its ugly head Thursday when more than 30 people were indicted in a federal gambling sting involving three current and former NBA players and coaches.

“We’ve had the concern since Day 1,’ Clark said. “The safety and well-being of our players has always been paramount as soon as gambling became legal. That hasn’t changed since that time. We work closely with the league to ensure the safety and well-being of our players, so that remains front and center here, that along with the educating of our players, making sure that they understand what they can and can’t do, is consistent and constant.

“But rest assured, every time there’s a situation that arises related to gambling, the concern doesn’t lessen, it gets driven.’

MLB has already had an umpire fired and several players suspended for being involved in gambling, with Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are currently under investigation and facing lifetime suspensions if found guilty that they involved with gambling on games they participated in.

The union would love to see legislatures make prop bets illegal to avoid the allegations that Clase and Ortiz intentionally threw pitches out of the strike zone on several occasions.

“We’re in support of removing any types of bets, prop or otherwise, that could create issues for our guyus on the field.  We heard a lot about prop bets of late, and it was one of the things we were concerned about from Day 1 as well.’

The union, as well as MLB, also is concerned over the players’ safety with MLB embracing gambling sites as corporate sponsors and running gambling advertisements during their games. There were dozens of players this year that spoke openly about receiving death threats towards them and family members.

“At the point in time when gambling became legalized in the states that it did, we had players within 24 hours reach out and suggest they were suddenly being followed by gambling sites and other entities,’ Clark said. “It’s just a different world. And so every time again, something happens, our concerns become greater. Everyone on some level recognized that the world was going to be different, but the health and safety, put the revenue aside, that may be a part of the equation.

“Our health and safety is first and foremost, and that’s why we hired the security director that we did, and why we work as diligently as we do to make sure that our players and their families are as protected as they can be amid the new environment.’

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TORONTO — They kept saying they wouldn’t be intimidated.

They refused to fear the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers.

They may be playing north of the border, and few folks in Southern California have ever heard of any of them – with the exception of the few with famous fathers – but, oh, can the Toronto Blue Jays play.

They absolutely walloped the powerful Dodgers, 11-4, in Game 1 of the World Series, sending 44,353 fans at the Rogers Centre partying into the streets.

Oh sure, the World Series is just getting started, but the Jays let the baseball world know that unlike the prior three teams in the Dodgers’ path, they won’t be pushovers.

“There’s a reason we are here and there’s a reason they’re there,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I think the one thing we cannot do is look over there and say that is Goliath.

“That is a beatable baseball team that has its flaws, and that has its really, really good strengths.”

The Dodgers, who had gone 8-1 in the first three rounds of the postseason with their starting rotation snuffing out every offense, suddenly showed vulnerability, with their bullpen showing their cracks.

It was the third-most runs scored in a single inning in World Seires history, trailing only the 1968 Detroit Tigers and the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics, who scored 10 runs apiece.

They not only showed the weakness of the Dodgers bullpen, but were the first team to get to Blake Snell this postseason. Snell entered the night with a 3-0 record and 0.88 ERA, allowing just six hits and two runs this postseason.

He ended the night giving up eight hits and five earned runs without getting out of the sixth inning.

The bullpen then poured gasoline on the flame after Snell departed, with Addison Barger making history by hitting the first pinch-hit grand slam in a World Seires, followed three batters later by an Alejandro Kirk homer, and the party was on.

The most electrifying inning in Blue Jays’ World Series history:

Walk, single, hit by pitch, single, walk, single, groundout, grand slam, single, fly out, home run, and fly out.

And that, boys and girls, is how you beat the powerful Dodgers.

The only folks not surprised by the offensive ambush is, well, the Jays themselves.

“I feel like we’ve been facing good pitching all year,’’ Schneider said. “Whether it’s the NL West coming in here, NL East, AL East, AL Central, I think that we do a really good job of preparing accordingly. So these big-name guys, big-time stuff, similar to the Yankees, yeah, for sure.

“Similar to a lot of teams that we faced.’’

The Blue Jays knocked them around to the tune of 94 victories and the AL East title, and hit .294 with 21 homers and a .523 slugging percentage in the playoffs entering Friday, so what’s another goliath to fall?

“I’ll put this group of 26 up against anybody,” Schneider said. “And they’re looking forward to taking on what is on paper the best team in baseball, that’s playing really well right now.

“I don’t think they would have it any other way.”

Game 2 is Saturday night.

Buckle up.

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