The Toronto Blue Jays looked down and out through six innings Monday as Seattle pitching was in steady control of a 3-1 Mariners lead in Game 7 of the ALCS.
But George Springer, as he has so many times in the postseason, delivered when it mattered most.
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The Blue Jays outfielder and former World Series MVP with the Houston Astros delivered a moon-shot, three-run home run off of Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
And with that, the script was flipped.
A Mariners team that just moments before was counting the outs until the franchise’s first-ever AL pennant will have to wait some more. The Blue Jays held on for a 4-3 victory in a Game 7 thriller to secure their first trip to the World Series since Joe Carter launched them to the championship in 1993. And Springer’s 23 career postseason home run was one of his biggest.
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Blue Jays relievers Seranthony Dominguez, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman combined for four shutout innings to finish the game after a shaky start from Shane Bieber and a Cal Raleigh home run allowed by Louis Varland.
After anxiously watching the first six innings, Toronto fans rocked the Rogers Centre like it was 1993 over the course of the final frames of the game. They’ll host at least two more games of baseball before the postseason is done. The Blue Jays advance to take on the juggernaut Dodgers in the World Series as Los Angeles seeks to claim its second straight championship.
The victory for the Blue Jays spoiled what looked like a coronation for Seattle’s young stars, as Julio Rodriguez and Raleigh each delivered home runs of their own to stake the early Seattle lead. Instead, the Mariners are left to wonder what might have been after they let an elusive trip to the World Series slip from their grasp.
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Game 1 is at 8 p.m. ET in Toronto.
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Julio strikes out, and the game is over.
The Blue Jays are going to the World Series, which begins Friday in Toronto.
The Mariners’ season, in which they made it further in the playoffs than ever before, is over.
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Canzone strikes out, and it’s Julio at the plate with the Mariners down to their last out.
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George Springer is now tied for third in MLB history with 23 postseason home runs.
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Rivas swings at ball four, and that’s a strikeout to start the inning for Hoffman.
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IKF grounds out, and we’re on to the ninth inning.
It’s Jeff Hoffman on the mound for Toronto. He threw 35 pitches last night.
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Muñoz allowed back-to-back singles to Varsho and Clement to start the inning. Then Barger grounded to Naylor at first for a quick double play.
Runner on third, two outs, bottom of the eighth.
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Andres Muñoz is now pitching for Seattle — one inning too late, some would argue.
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Chris Bassitt throws a quick 1-2-3 inning, and just like that, the Mariners are three outs away from elimination.
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Jason Owens
The Blue Jays did no more damage after George Springer’s game-altering home run. But that was all they needed for the moment.
Toronto has a 4-3 lead after seven innings and is now six outs away from a trip to the World Series.
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Jason Owens
Well, that happened fast. Seattle was cruising, seemingly in control with a 3-1 lead.
But George Springer turned the tide of the game with a single swing of his bat, launching a three-run home run into the left-field stands to flip the script to a 4-3 Blue Jays lead in the bottom of the seventh.
A once-anxious Rogers Centre crowd is now in a frenzy with a trip to the World Series in sight.
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Jason Owens
Bryan Woo allowed a leadoff walk to Addison Barger and a single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa to start the sixth.
Andres Gimenez advanced to second and third with a bunt, and Wood’s night is done with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. The tying runs are on base, and the top of the Toronto order is up with George Springer first.
Eduard Bazardo takes over out of the Seattle bullpen to try to get out of the jam as the Mariners have a tenuous hold on a 3-1 lead.
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Jason Owens
The Mariners had two runners on after two-out walks of Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor. But Jorge Polanco hit into an inning-ending double play to end the scoring threat.
Seattle maintains a 3-1 lead through six innings with a trip to the World Series at stake.
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Jason Owens
Bryan Woo allowed the first hit of his outing on an Alejandro Kirk single, but allowed no further damage in his second inning out of the Seattle bullpen in the sixth.
The All-Star starter from the regular season led off the inning with a swinging strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and finished the frame with a groundout of Ernie Clement.
Seattle has a 3-1 lead through six and is now nine outs from a trip to the World Series.
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Jason Owens
Seranthony Dominguez needed just seven pitches out of the bullpen to retire the Seattle side in the sixth inning.
Now it’s up to Toronto’s bats as Seattle maintains a 3-1 lead in the middle of the sixth.
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Jason Owens
All-Star Bryan Woo took over on the mound out of the Seattle bullpen with a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. He did his part with a scoreless frame that ended with a double play on a Nathan Lukes ground ball.
Seattle starter George Kirby pitched four strong innings, allowing four hits, one walk and a single earned run.
Woo earned his first All-Star bid as a starter in the regular season but finished the season on the injured list due to a pectoral injury. He’s now back on the roster and pitching in the biggest spot of his career. The Mariners are 12 outs away from the World Series.
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Jason Owens
Julio Rodriguez hit a home run in the third inning. Cal Raleigh joined him in the fifth.
The 2025 home run king and MVP candidate led off the top of the fifth with a towering blast into the right-field stands off a Louis Varland changeup. The home run is Raleigh’s fifth of the postseason and 65th overall in 2024.
Seattle’s stars are showing out, and the Mariners have a 3-1 lead in the middle of the fifth with a trip to the World Series at stake.
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Jason Owens
While Toronto starter Shane Beiber is done, Seattle starter George Kirby is settling in.
Kirby allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth but got out of the frame without allowing a run. He’s up to 65 pitches with three strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run to cross since the first inning.
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