Blue Jays head to World Series behind George Springer’s clutch home run
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The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the World Series for the first time since 1993.
And they can thank the winning man for the luck.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, with runners on second and third and no one out, George Springer struck out, striking out a 3-1 lead in favor of the Seattle Mariners, a team desperate to advance to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.
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Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh game of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Center on October 20, 2025. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
Springer decided to do better, sitting on Eduard Bazardo’s fastball and blasting it over the left field fence for a 4-3 lead. That was the hit the Blue Jays needed to clinch the American League pennant victory.
The Blue Jays will now face the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
BLUE JAYS FORCE GAME 7 HAS A SIGNIFICANT WIN AGAINST THE MARINERS
This was a series filled with theatrics from the start, but the Blue Jays found themselves trailing 3-2 in the series and needing two straight wins to become pennant winners. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed that up on Sunday night. and they did, with Addison Barger hitting home runs to force a win-or-go-home Game 7.
But Monday night didn’t start out Toronto’s way, as Josh Naylor put Seattle ahead early with an RBI single that scored Julio Rodriguez. But Daulton Varsho, another key hitter for the Blue Jays during the offseason, knotted the game at one by one with a single to center, scoring Springer.
Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning in the seventh game of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Center on October 20, 2025. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)
Then, in the top of the third inning, Rodriguez put the Mariners on top again, hitting a solo home run to left-center field. And who, other than AL MVP hopeful Cal Raleigh, had a solo home run when his team needed him to make it a 3-1 game in the top of the fifth inning?
With the Mariners’ pitching staff being one of the best in baseball all year long, there were options on who to deploy late in the game, given that it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Mariners manager Dan Wilson went with Bryan Woo after George Kirby gave him a four-hitter, and Woo gave him clean fifth and sixth innings.
But Woo opened the door with a walk to Barger to start the seventh inning, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa woke up Rogers Center with a single that left runners on first and second with no one out. After Andres Gimenez drove them away with a ritual sacrifice, Bazardo arrived to confront Springer.
Springer came out on top.
Jeff Hoffman gave the Mariners the lead in the ninth inning, striking out all three batters, including Rodriguez, to start the celebration.
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder George Springer (4) celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners in game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Center on October 20, 2025. (Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images)
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The Blue Jays are hoping they can do what their team did in 1993, when the Toronto team captured back-to-back World Series titles that season.
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