
Blue Jays giving Proline players much to ponder
Toronto returned from the all-star break in impressive fashion, sweeping the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. The Jays opened the series with a 4-0 victory Friday night before finishing up with wins by scores of 6-3 and 8-6.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., 69 per cent of players backed Toronto's win Saturday, with 53 per cent having the Blue Jays at +1.5 runs. Seventy-nine per cent had them over at 7.5.
Story continues below advertisement
Sunday's series-ending victory was supported by 63 per cent of bettors while 51 per cent had Toronto +1.5 runs. But only 48 successfully had the Jays over at 8.5.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Heading into the second half of the baseball season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the top World Series outright pick at 32 per cent, followed by Toronto at 21 per cent. The Detroit Tigers are a distant third at 11per cent.
Toronto is a solid 62 per cent pick to win the American League East outright, comfortably ahead of the New York Yankees (21 per cent).
Meanwhile, in golf, American Scottie Scheffler cemented his status as the world's top-ranked player by winning the British Open by four strokes. Just 12 per cent of bettors had Scheffler winning the event, while 29 per cent had him earning a top 10 finish.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Toronto Star
42 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Summer McIntosh captures first gold at worlds as her grinding quest for swimming history begins
SINGAPORE—This wasn't easy, or at least, it's not supposed to be easy. Swimming is hard, elite swimming is hard, swimming the year after an Olympic high is hard, taking down swimming gods is hard, swimming a 400-metre final and then a 200 medley semifinal 27 minutes later is hard. It really, really is. But on the first day of the swimming world championships, Summer McIntosh made it all look like the most natural thing in the world. She won gold in the 400 freestyle in 3:56.26, almost two seconds ahead of China's Li Bingjie and American legend Katie Ledecky, who was out-touched for silver and relegated to bronze. Then Summer swam her 200 IM semifinal more than one second faster than anyone else in the field, cruising. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details


Toronto Sun
2 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Summer McIntosh wins first gold medal at worlds in her quest for five
Published Jul 27, 2025 • 4 minute read From left to right: Silver medallist China's swimmer Li Bingjie, gold medallist Canada's swimmer Summer Mcintosh, and bronze medallist U.S.' swimmer Katie Ledecky celebrate on the podium of the women's 400m freestyle swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 27, 2025. Photo by MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP via Getty Images SINGAPORE — For Summer McIntosh of Canada, it's one gold medal won at the swimming world championships with four to go. McIntosh is aiming to win five gold medals in individual events at the worlds in Singapore, and the first one came Sunday in the 400-metre freestyle on the first of eight days in the pool. Only legendary American Michael Phelps has ever won five individual medals in the worlds. He also did it at the Olympics. McIntosh won but did not break her own world record, winning in 3 minutes, 56.26 seconds. Li Bingjie of China took silver (3:58.21) with a late charge to leave American Katie Ledecky (3:58.49) with bronze. A year ago in the Olympics, Ledecky also took bronze in the 400. McIntosh was the silver medalist with gold for Australian Ariarne Titmus of Australia. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 🇨🇦🥇WORLD CHAMP SUMMER MCINTOSHPure dominance from 16-year-old Canadian as she swims to a win in the women's 400m free in Singapore for her 9th 50m World Champs the third best time of her career and she qualified for the 200m IM final too. — Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) July 27, 2025 Titmus is taking a year off and did not swim and has since lost her world record in the event to McIntosh. For Ledecky, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, it was her 27th medal in the world championships in an astonishing career. She won her first Olympic gold in 2012 in London, and then started adding world championship medals beginning in Barcelona in 2013. About 25 minutes after winning the 400, McIntosh came back and qualified first in the 200 individual medley, clocking 2:07.39. American Alex Walsh was second in 2:08.49. That final is Monday. 'I've never done a double like that,' McIntosh said. 'I think the 400 free, at past world championships and Olympics, I haven't been at my best. And I haven't been where I wanted to be. So, to finally stand in the centre of the podium is promising for the rest of the meet.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Canadian added: I think I'm at my best. I'm in the best shape of my life. So now I just have to act on that and put it into all my races.' The shock of the first day might have been Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi, who was the seventh fastest in qualifying and will swim in the final. Asked her reaction, she replied: 'Oh, I'm in,' unaware she had advanced. 'I will continue to work harder,' she added. 'I hope to find a breakthrough at these world championships and show my potential.' Asked for her reaction to the competition, she added. 'You can feel it's quite intense. I try not to think so much and just give it my all.' The 200 IM might not even be her best event with the Chinese likely quicker in the 400 IM and the 200 butterfly. Meanwhile, the United States is swimming with what appears to be a weakened team after officials acknowledged Sunday that some members of the team had come down with 'acute gastroenteritis' at a training camp in Thailand prior to arriving in Singapore. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Nikki Warner, a spokeswoman for USA Swimming, would not say how many fell ill in Thailand. She cited health confidentiality rules. She said all American swimmers had traveled to Singapore. In the other early individual final Sunday, Lukas Martens of Germany won the men's 400 free in 3:42.35, edging Sam Short of Australia who was .02 behind. Bronze went to Kim Woomin of South Korea in 3:42.60. Martens is the defending Olympic champion and also holds the world record of 3:39.96. McIntosh, who won three gold medals a year ago at the Paris Olympics, holds the world record in the 400 free — 3:54.18. She will face off again with Ledecky in the 800 free later in the meet, probably the most anticipated race in Singapore. Though she holds the 400 free world record, McIntosh had failed to win gold in the event in the Olympics or previous world championships. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. McIntosh will also be after gold in the 200- and 400-individual medleys, and the 200 butterfly. Famed Olympian Michael Phelps is the only swimmer to have won five individual gold medals at a world championships. The other two gold medals Sunday were in the relays. The United States was the favourite in both and failed to win either. The Australian women took gold just ahead of the United States in the 4×100 freestyle relay. The Aussies clocked 3:30.60 with 3:31.04 for the US. The Netherlands took bronze in 3:33.89. On the men's side in the 4×100, Australia also took gold in 3:08.97. Italy took silver in 3:09.58 with bronze for the United States in 3:09.64. There were three other semifinal results on Sunday. Qin Haiyang of China took the 200 breaststroke in 58.24 with Paris Olympic champion Nicolo Martinenghi second in 58.62. The Italian was initially disqualified for moving on the blocks, but was later reinstated on appeal. Gretchen Walsh of the United States and Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium tied in the 100 butterfly in 56.07, and Maxime Grousset of France took the men's 50 fly in 22.61. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Sports Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA


Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
How Trump could complicate Canada's 2026 World Cup hosting plans
Article content A spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency said the agency is working closely with federal government departments, host cities and FIFA 'in the safety and security planning for this international event.' Article content Matheson said fans — particularly those from countries that have found themselves in Trump's crosshairs — have good reasons to be worried. Article content 'I would be very concerned about planning a vacation that has you travelling from Mexico or from Canada into the United States and back. I don't think that you can guarantee that vacation of a lifetime is actually going to be there for you to actually take,' he said. Article content He said it's one thing to be denied entry, another to end up in jail and deported — potentially to a prison in El Salvador. Article content 'No one wants to go to the World Cup to watch some soccer games and then end up in jail,' he said. Article content Article content Trump's moves to impose tariffs on much of the world, including Canada, could also affect the World Cup. Article content Matheson offered the example of someone who makes jerseys for a country's team who would want to ship those jerseys across the border with the team. Article content 'Tariffs make that type of inventory management pretty challenging,' he said. Article content Tim Elcombe is a professor at Wilfrid Laurier University whose areas of expertise include sports, politics and international affairs. He said 'there was a sense that having the event in Canada, the United States and Mexico would almost be a bit of a calming of the political waters,' as the cup returned to Western countries. Article content Article content Canada is co-hosting one of world's biggest sporting events with a country whose president has instigated a trade war and threatened annexation. Canadians have cut travel to the U.S. and stopped buying American products — and it's not clear what all of that might mean for the World Cup. Article content Article content While Vancouver and Toronto will host some games, 'really this is an American-centric competition,' Elcombe said. Article content 'So how will Canadians feel about this? Will we get behind it? Will it become the event I think they were hoping it would be?' Article content In early July, labour and human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, wrote to FIFA president Gianni Infantino to say U.S. policies under Trump pose a 'serious threat' to individuals, especially non-citizens. Article content The letter accused FIFA of ignoring 'the clear evidence of the significant deterioration of the rights climate in the United States.' Article content Elcombe said while the United States is likely to take the brunt of scrutiny, Canada is not immune. Article content 'Canada is going to have to be prepared for a very critical eye in terms of focus on some of the issues in Canada from a human rights perspective, because I think they will be exposed,' he said, citing Canada's relationship with Indigenous Peoples as one example. Article content MacIntosh Ross, a fellow at the Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health at Saint Mary's University, said Canada should put pressure on the U.S. government 'to make sure that things happen in a safe or as safe a manner as possible.' Article content 'The Canadian organizers and the Canadian government need to be very clear about their expectations for their partners in this World Cup and reiterate them and state them over and over again,' he said. Article content Elcombe noted Infantino, who has 'very much established himself as a friend and supporter of President Trump,' could be a key player in determining how the coming months unfold. Article content Article content It's difficult to predict what Trump might do, Zimbalist said. If there are political issues in the United States that he wants to distract people from, 'you can see him doing crazier and crazier things internationally to get people's minds off of what's actually happening.' Article content Article content But Trump also has shown that he cares about the World Cup and looking good as he hosts the tournament. Article content 'I think he does care about image and he does care about being on the world stage,' Zimbalist said. 'So I can see that being a significant deterrent, actually.'