In a moment steeped in postseason lore, George Springer delivered a home run for the ages on Monday night, launching a go-ahead three-run blast in the seventh inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a thrilling 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
With the Blue Jays trailing by two and the Rogers Centre crowd on edge, Springer — hobbling slightly from a knee injury suffered earlier in the series — connected on a sinker from reliever Eduard Bazardo and sent it soaring into the left-field seats. The shot turned the game, the series, and the season on its head, sending Toronto to its first World Series in 32 years.
“I’m just so happy for our team, our fans, our city, our country,” Springer said postgame. “This is why we love playing here. It’s electric. This is what October baseball is all about.”
As Springer rounded the bases, his celebration echoed memories of postseason legends — part Kirk Gibson’s grit, part Joe Carter’s jubilation — a fitting homage to the Blue Jays’ own October history.
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“When you have a group of guys who genuinely play for each other, it means something,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “You can’t measure it — just like you can’t measure clutch. But you feel it.”
Mariners Fall Short After Strong Postseason Run
For Seattle, the defeat was crushing. Still in search of their first pennant since joining MLB in 1977, the Mariners had a 3-2 series lead heading back to Toronto but couldn’t close it out.
“I hate to use the word failure, but it’s a failure,” said a visibly emotional Cal Raleigh. “Our expectation was to win a World Series.”
Julio Rodríguez and Raleigh each homered to give Seattle a 3-1 lead into the late innings, but the bullpen faltered in the seventh after starter Bryan Woo allowed a walk, a single, and a sac bunt. Bazardo, brought in to face the top of the Jays’ order, left a pitch over the plate — and Springer didn’t miss.
“We did a lot of good things offensively,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson. “It’s just hard. That’s a special team in there, and this loss is going to sting for a while.”
Springer’s Comeback Mirrors Jays’ Season
Springer’s resilience mirrored the Jays’ 2025 campaign. After a 94-win regular season and AL East title, Toronto dropped the first two ALCS games at home, only to storm back and force Game 7 in front of a sold-out crowd.
He had been hit in the knee by a 97-mph fastball in Game 5 — also from Woo — and at one point, there were doubts he’d be able to continue.
“There was no way he was sitting out,” Schneider said. “That’s who George is.”
“For him to come through like that, it doesn’t surprise me,” said pitcher Shane Bieber. “George is George — he’s just built for big moments.”
The Home Run That Will Be Remembered Forever
For many current Blue Jays, memories of Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off in 1993 are history lessons. Now, this generation has its own defining moment — a night when George Springer touched them all and sent a nation into celebration.
“I knew it was gone the second he hit it,” said Kevin Gausman. “We were all going crazy. That’s what George does — he shows up when it matters most.”
