Nothing comes easy in October

The GIST: All tied up! Nine extra innings and countless memes later, the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are even at two games apiece, with Game 5 on deck in LA tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

• From Monday’s late-night early-morning heroics to last night’s explosive comeback, here’s what you need to know about this truly jaw-dropping best-of-seven World Series matchup.

💙 LA’s Freddie Freeman adds to postseason lore: Six hours and 39 minutes, 18 innings, but all the Dodgers’ first baseman needed was one swing to end Monday’s marathon Game 3, walking it off for a 6–5 win. It simply had to be Freeman, who became the first player with multiple walk-off homers in the World Series. The definition of clutch.

🐦 Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. breaks Jays’ franchise postseason home run record: What started as a pitchers’ duel quickly turned into a convincing 6–2 Toronto win. Vladdy blasted a two-run home run in the third inning (his seventh dinger of these playoffs) to take the lead before the Jays put the game away with a four-run seventh inning. And that’s on resilience.

⏩ Game 1 starters Trey Yesavage (Toronto) and Blake Snell (LA) take the mound again tonight: Toronto bested the usually sharp Snell with five runs in last week’s World Series opener, but the Jays could be without one of their best bats: Outfielder George Springer left Game 3 early with an injury and didn’t take the diamond last night. Keep an eye on that lineup card ahead of Game 5 — a chance to be one win away from a World Series trophy hangs in the balance.

The GIST: Cento, cento, cento — believe it or not there are just 100 days (!!!) until the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics opening ceremony begins at Italy’s San Siro Olympic Stadium. Let the countdown begin with a quick look at the upcoming Winter Games by the numbers.

🥹 Two: Meet Tina and Milo, the official mascots (and certified cutie pies) of the Milano Cortina Olympics. These adorable stoats (think ferret, but smaller) are named for the two host cities: Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milano. However, as you’ll read below, these Games stretch far and wide across Europe’s famed boot.

😦 Eight: The upcoming Games will be held across eight Italian cities, from the biathlon in Anterselva to the closing ceremony in Verona.

⛄ 16: Athletes will compete across sixteen sports. That includes ski mountaineering, which is making its Olympic debut and will see Olympians traverse northern Italy, first climbing uphill and then racing down a mountain on skis. Not for the faint of heart.

🏒 12: As in 12 years — for the first time since 2014, NHL players can participate in the Olympics, an especially exciting change following the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. Similarly, this will be the first Olympics featuring PWHL athletes after the league was founded in 2023. Drop that puck.

👏 47: The games are inching closer and closer to parity as 47% of Milano Cortina Olympians will be women. That’s thanks in part to the fact that these Games will feature the most women’s events in Winter Olympics history.

• What’s more, 2026 will see a 29% increase in women’s Paralympic participation compared to the 2022 edition.

💰 $3.11M: Canadian Olympians and Paralympians, along with their coaches, will benefit from $3.11M in funding for mental health services, courtesy of the federal government. Eh-xcellent news.

🚨Hot off the press: Here’s five reasons why Canadian Women & Sport’s It’s Time report has everyone buzzing.

1️⃣ Women’s sports are undergoing a seismic shift in the Great White North.

2️⃣ The Canadian women’s sports market has doubled in just two years.

3️⃣ It’s projected to reach $570M by 2030, signaling real, sustained growth.

4️⃣ Savvy brands are already seeing 25% more love, buzz, and buy‑in from fans.

5️⃣ Gen Z and young millennial fans are more connected — and valuable — than ever.

The receipts? All in the It’s Time report, a data-driven collaboration between our friends at Canadian Women & Sport, Canadian Tire Corporation, and Wasserman’s The Collective. Making the case for investing in women’s sports has never been easier.

🏀 NBA: Houston Rockets vs. Toronto Raptors — Tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET — TSN

• Basketball’s best are scoring at record pace, but the Dinos have taken a different approach: Teamwork. They’re dishing out nearly 31 assists per game, the second-most in the league. Now that’s how you make the dream work.

🎓🏉 USports: Women’s Rugby Championship — Today through Sunday — CBC

• Missing the thrill of this summer’s Women’s Rugby World Cup? USports has you covered: Catch Team Canada’s future stars battle for university glory in this single-elimination tourney — including the No. 2 Queen’s Gaels, Player of the Year Sophie de Goede’s alma mater.

🏈 NFL: Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins — Tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. ET — TSN

• Put this Bee Gees classic on repeat because, against all odds, the struggling Ravens and Dolphins both logged wins last week. Sports are all about redemption arcs, and the expected return of injured Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson could be key to Baltimore claiming theirs.

⏰ Have two minutes for fun? We know you’re busy, but our free-to-play NFL Pick’em Challenge isn’t just entertaining, it’s quick and easy. You can make your picks:

🫖 As the kettle boils for your morning Americano. No caffeine required.

🧻 During your afternoon bathroom break. You were already scrolling. *winks*

🍿 While commercials are playing during your fave shows.

Fantasy football doesn’t have to be a part-time job. And while we aren’t sure when Kris, aka this week’s champ, made their picks, we know it was quick, easy, and fun. The perfect trifecta, especially with hundreds of dollars of GIST swag on the line.

🚨 One more thing: Picks close at 8:15 p.m. ET tomorrow, right before the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins game. Kickoff waits for no fan.