TORONTO — Comeback wins were a big reason why the Toronto Blue Jays reached the American League Championship Series.
George Springer topped them all with a come-from-behind moment that will go down as one of the biggest homers in franchise history.
Springer hit a go-ahead three-run shot in the seventh inning and closer Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth to lift the Blue Jays to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
The victory gave Toronto its first AL pennant since 1993 and a berth in the World Series starting Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I knew I had got the guy in from third, which was all I was trying to do,” Springer said in a champagne-soaked locker-room. “And then it went out of the park. I’ll take it.”
With Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Addison Barger in scoring position, Springer’s 384-foot shot came off reliever Eduard Bazardo.
A run-scoring sacrifice fly was a gimme, but the ball kept carrying and just cleared the wall before landing in the first row of seats. It was Springer’s fourth homer of the post-season and 23rd of his playoff career.
“He’s one of the best to do it in the post-season,” Hoffman said. “I’m really happy that he’s on our side.”
Toronto led the major leagues with 49 comeback wins in the regular season. The Blue Jays needed every one of them, as the head-to-head tiebreaker gave Toronto the East Division crown over New York when both teams finished with 94 victories.
That gave the Blue Jays a bye past the wild-card round. Toronto then eliminated the Yankees in the ALDS to reach the championship series for the first time since 2016.
After dropping the first two games at home to Seattle, the Blue Jays reeled off four wins in five games to eliminate the Mariners and book their World Series ticket.
“We’re all in it together and it’s what it’s all about,” said Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer, as teammates poured beer over his head. “Ahhh, it’s so nice.”
The party was on in the locker-room as players whooped it up for the fourth time this year. A clinched playoff spot, an East title, and an ALDS win preceded the latest celebration.
“We’re all out of beer,” Toronto pitcher Max Scherzer said, before moving on to another cooler. “I didn’t think that was possible.”
There were plenty of suds and champagne bottles nearby as players, coaches and support staff let loose, knowing they were just four wins away from a World Series crown.
Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber and Mariners right-hander George Kirby started the Game 7 matchup but neither hurler made it to the fifth.
Both teams scored a run in the opening frame. Julio Rodriguez hit a solo shot in the third and Cal Raleigh made it 3-1 with a solo homer in the fifth.
The Blue Jays were hitting occasional singles but couldn’t get an extra-base hit.
The sellout crowd of 44,770 came to life in the seventh when Barger drew a leadoff walk and Kiner-Falefa singled. Andres Gimenez advanced them with a sacrifice bunt and waved his arms to get the fans even louder as he trotted back to the dugout.
That set the stage for Springer, who appeared limited at the plate the last two games after taking a pitch off the knee in Game 5.
He turned on a 1-0 sinker for a blast that’ll go down as an all-timer on a franchise list that includes Joe Carter’s World Series walkoff in 1993, Jose Bautista’s bat flip in 2015, Roberto Alomar’s shot in Oakland in 1992 and Edwin Encarnacion’s wild-card walkoff in 2016.
A wide-eyed Springer watched it for a few seconds, unsure of whether it had the distance. The rest of his run around the bases was a blur.
“I blacked out,” he said with a chuckle.
Next up for Canada’s lone big-league team is a showdown with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers.
“We know they’re a great team and I know we’re a great team — built differently,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “But man, I can’t wait to go toe to toe with them.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2025.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
