The last ticket to the World Series was on the line on Monday, with the Mariners and Blue Jays clashing in a Game 7 that promised to cap off a thrilling ALCS. After dropping the first two games, Toronto
rallied to even up the series before Seattle moved closer to the Fall Classic than they’ve ever been by winning Game 5 to go up 3-2… but the Jays cruised to a Game 6 win that forced a winner-take-all. In the end, it ended up being an instant classic for one fanbase, and a devastating loss for the other.
American League Championship Series Game 7
Toronto Blue Jays 4, Seattle Mariners 3
(Blue Jays win, 4-3)
With the season on the line, both starters knew they had to make an impact or pass the baton quick, and both got into some trouble in the first inning. Shane Bieber allowed a leadoff double to Julio Rodríguez, and two batters later Josh Naylor singled him home to put Seattle on the board first. Their rally ended with a double play off the bat of Jorge Polanco, however, continuing a trend from Sunday’s game where the Mariners constantly hit into twin killings on the basepaths. Meanwhile, George Kirby issued a leadoff walk to George Springer, who would play a much bigger role in this game later but came around to score after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Daulton Varsho singled him in.
The Mariners were back at it in the second, getting runners on first and second with no outs, but after J.P. Crawford bunted the runners into scoring position Leo Rivas struck out on a slider down in the dirt and Victor Robles grounded out to end the threat. They went to a more tried and true method in the third — a Rodríguez solo shot to leadoff the inning.
The fourth inning saw more action on the basepaths for Seattle, as Crawford got on with a one-out double and Robles walked with two outs to keep the rally alive, forcing Toronto to go to their bullpen. Louis Varland got Rodríguez to ground out to strand two and preserve a decent night for Bieber, who gave up plenty of contact allowing seven hits but exited with just a one-run deficit.
On the other side, Kirby calmed down after his hectic start. He allowed two-out singles in the second and fourth innings but side-stepped any damage from them, and worked a 1-2-3 third inning as well. Cal Raleigh gave his pitching staff some insurance to lead off the fifth, hitting a home run to extend the lead to 3-1.
At just 65 pitches, Mariners manager Dan Wilson opted to pull Kirby to go to his ‘pen and get another starter in the game for a fresh inning and hopefully some length, summoning Bryan Woo for the bottom of the fifth. Woo started his night off with a walk, but a strikeout and double play rendered that mistake moot. The sixth inning was uneventful for both sides, but in the seventh the Mariners once more made some noise on the basepaths that went for naught. A Robles walk was erased on a double play, and after Raleigh was intentionally walked Josh Naylor worked a traditional walk of his own to put runners on for Polanco. Unfortunately for Seattle, their DH grounded out to end the top half of the inning.
All of that set the stage for the bottom of the seventh. Woo issued a walk to Addison Barger and Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to put the tying run on base, and Andrés Giménez bunted the runners over to get them in scoring position. Wilson went out to get Woo, inserting Eduard Bazardo to face Springer. The decision backfired, as Springer crushed a middle-middle sinker out to left field for a go-ahead three-run home run that gave Toronto their first lead of the night.
Rogers Centre was rocking, and the air felt like it came gushing out of the Mariners’ sails. Chris Bassitt came on for the eighth inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning, and then in the ninth closer Jeff Hoffman entered to get the save that would send the Blue Jays to the World Series. He struck out Rivas on a high fastball just out of the zone, struck Dominic Canzone on another fastball just atop the strike zone, and then fooled Rodríguez with three sliders well off the plate to end it.
With that, the 2025 World Series is set: the Blue Jays will host the Dodgers for the chance to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy. The Fall Classic begins on October 24th, as Los Angeles will try to become the first team to repeat as champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees while the Blue Jays look for their first title since their back-to-back wins in 1992 and 1993.
