TORONTO – In the aftermath of an I-can’t-believe-it, no-way-that-just-happened ending to what could easily turn into a spirit-breaking loss, George Springer walked into the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse, said a few words and turned the music on.
Usually, there is only grim silence after a defeat. The one in Game 6 of the World Series on Friday night, when a title was there for the taking, when a ball wedged between an outfield wall renewed in 2023 and the turf, plus a line-out double play snuffed out a promising ninth-inning rally in the unlikeliest of ways, was about as gut-wrenching as they come. Wallowing in the hush, even if only for a little bit, would be understandable, if not expected.
The hobbled star, however, refused to let his team reel.
“George did a really good job talking with us, that we weren’t supposed to lose that way, but to keep our heads up,” said catcher Alejandro Kirk, his left hand wrapped in ice, although X-rays showed no fracture after he was hit by a Roki Sasaki splitter in the ninth inning. “That’s what makes it really special having him in the clubhouse.”
Ace Kevin Gausman, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers got to just enough during the pivotal third but was otherwise dominant over six innings, noted that he was borrowing from Springer when he said: “If anyone told us in spring training we’d be playing Game 7 for the World Series, we would take that without even thinking. So we feel really good about our team and we’ve just got to win one game.”
Catcher Tyler Heineman remembered Springer saying precisely that.
“George is the one that put the music on and he said, ‘If you told us Day 1 of spring training that you were going to be playing Game 7 to win or lose the World Series, would you take it?’ Everybody said, resoundingly, yes. He’s like – I’m not going to repeat the expletives – ‘So let’s go. We have one game to play for everything that we want. And all you’ve got to do is just go out there and be the best you can and do nothing different.’”
Such is the way that the Blue Jays will head into Saturday night’s Game 7, with the ball in Max Scherzer’s hands, Dodgers starter TBD although maybe it’s Shohei Ohtani, after a stunning 3-1 loss that spoiled plans for a clinch party across Toronto and beyond, and extended the 2025 baseball season to the very last possible day.
The stunning way it happened will either become a footnote in the third championship in Blue Jays history, or a unique part of Dodgers folklore on their way to consecutive titles.
“Been here a long time. I haven’t seen a ball get lodged ever,” lamented Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who added later: “Wild way to finish it, for sure.”
A three-run third off Gausman opened the scoring, Springer’s RBI single off the ever-impressive Yoshinobu Yamamoto, stung at 109.8 m.p.h. despite a right side injury that kept him from playing in the previous two contests, cut the lead to 3-1 and things sat there until the bonkers ninth.
Sasaki, the Japanese phenom who chose L.A. over Toronto back in January, was out for his second inning of work and opened the ninth by hitting Kirk. With Straw subbing in as a pinch-runner, Addison Barger split the outfield defence with a 105.5 m.p.h. drive to centre that lodged where the dense outfield padding meets the turf, believed to be a first since the wall was redone.
Straw and Barger scampered around the bases just in case, but centre-fielder Justin Dean wisely put up his hands and left the ball alone, prompting the umpires to call it a ground-rule double, a decision that survived replay review.
“I scored and then I turned around and I was like, OK, Barger’s probably going to be at second and I turn around and I see Barger coming. I was like, ‘oh my gosh, what’s going on?’” Straw said of the play. “I was amazed. No one’s ever really seen the ball do that here, myself included. It was tough. I was hoping they didn’t put the arms up because I think that would have been a live ball if he grabbed it. But they did the right thing. As an outfielder, you’re supposed to do that, and that’s the right call.”
That left runners on second and third with none out, still an advantageous spot, and the Dodgers turned to Tyler Glasnow, expected to be part of the pitching plan in a Game 7, to try and escape the jam. He induced a weak pop-up to first from Ernie Clement for one out and then Andres Gimenez ripped a ball to left field, where Kiké Hernandez managed to chase it down. He then alertly threw to second to double off Barger, who had strayed too far to get back in time, muting a sellout crowd of 44,710.
“I’m thinking if it does drop,” said Barger, “I want to get to a spot where I can at least get to third and if I don’t get thrown out at third, because I know he’s playing shallow.”
From imminent comeback to Game 7 just like that. And in a season filled with bounce-backs from difficult losses, even as recently as the 18-inning, Game-3 thriller when the World Series was in Los Angeles, the Blue Jays will need to summon one more comeback to claim the Commissioner’s Trophy.
“These guys are really good at kind of just turning the page,” said Schneider. “That will take a while to kind of unpack. That’s a wild ending. I love the way we played. Yamamoto was really good again. Had our chances with guys on base kind of as the game went on. But we’re going to be ready to play (Saturday). Everyone’s going to be ready to play.”
Daulton Varsho, pointing to the Blue Jays’ journey this season, said the resilience comes from “just trusting the guy behind you. We’ve done that from the get-go. We’ve got to keep trusting that. And we’ve done a really good job of pitching. So I’m really excited where we’re at. Keep moving forward.”
That’s why Springer said what he said and put the music on.
“Obviously it sucks – you want to win Game 6 there, but we’re cool,” said Straw. “George gave us a little, this is what we do it for, boys. A lot of leaders made their lap around here, this is what we live for, this is what you play for as a kid. Literally, this is what we showed up for on February 14th. To sit here and dwell when we have another opportunity – it’s not like we’re done, by any means. So it’s sick that we get to have this opportunity.”
Gausman said the post-game clubhouse reflected “an overall understanding of the kind of team we’ve been through 182 games. We were down two nothing to Seattle (in the ALCS) and no one panicked at all. … So, to be honest, I think everybody in here feels like we can beat this team, you know?”
Saturday night, winner-takes-all, they get one last chance to prove it.