Overview
- Wainwright delivered a bilingual O Canada before Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, singing “that only us command” and stumbling through portions of the French verse.
- Blue Jays fans and other Canadians condemned the rendition on social media, with many calling it disrespectful and questioning the accuracy of the lyrics.
- This followed JP Saxe’s Game 3 change to “our home on native land,” which had already made anthem performances a running issue in the series.
- Some commentators urged giving Wainwright leeway, noting the challenge of performing a bilingual anthem on a high-profile stage.
- Wainwright has not explained the lyric change, MLB’s choice of anthem performers faced renewed scrutiny, and the series now heads to Toronto for games at Rogers Centre.