The Toronto Blue Jays are going to the World Series for the first time since the 1993 season.
And they can thank the man who already has a championship for giving them the chance.
In the seventh inning’s bottom half, with runners occupying second and third and no outs, George Springer stepped up to the plate with an opportunity to even the score at 3-1 against the Seattle Mariners, a team yearning for its first-ever World Series berth in franchise history.
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Springer opted to surpass that, anticipating a fastball from Eduard Bazardo and sending it over the left field wall to secure a 4-3 advantage. That swing was all the Blue Jays needed to clinch their American League pennant victory.
The Blue Jays are now set to face the reigning-champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
BLUE JAYS FORCE GAME 7 WITH CRUCIAL WIN OVER MARINERS
This series was filled with drama right from the start, but the Blue Jays found themselves returning home trailing 3-2 in the series, needing two consecutive wins to be crowned pennant winners. They accomplished that feat on Sunday night, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger hitting home runs to force a decisive Game 7.
However, Monday night didn’t begin as Toronto would have liked, as Josh Naylor put Seattle ahead early with an RBI single to score Julio Rodriguez. Yet, Daulton Varsho, another clutch Blue Jays hitter throughout the postseason, smacked a single to center, scoring Springer to tie the game at one apiece.
Then, in the third inning’s top half, Rodriguez put the Mariners back on top, launching a solo home run to deep left center field. And none other than Cal Raleigh, the AL MVP contender, came through when his team needed him, hitting a solo home run himself to make it a 3-1 ball game in the fifth inning’s top half.
With the Mariners’ pitching staff being among the best in baseball throughout the year, there were options for who to use late in the game, considering it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Mariners manager Dan Wilson went with Bryan Woo after George Kirby pitched four innings, and Woo provided clean fifth and sixth innings.
But Woo opened the door with a walk to Barger to begin the seventh inning, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa energized Rogers Centre with a single that left runners on first and second with no outs. After Andres Gimenez advanced them with a sacrifice bunt, Bazardo came in to face Springer.
Springer prevailed.
Jeff Hoffman finished off the Mariners in the ninth inning, striking out all three batters, including Rodriguez, to ignite the celebration.
The Blue Jays are hoping they can replicate what that team achieved in 1993, as the Toronto team secured consecutive World Series titles that season.
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