The Toronto Blue Jays looked down and out through six innings Monday, as the Mariners’ pitchers were in control of a 3-1 lead in Game 7 of the ALCS.
Then George Springer, as he has so many times in the postseason, delivered when it mattered most.
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The Blue Jays’ outfielder and former World Series MVP with the Houston Astros delivered a towering three-run home run off Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
And with that, the script was flipped.
A Mariners team that just moments before was counting down the outs until the franchise’s first AL pennant will have to keep waiting. The Blue Jays held on for a 4-3 victory in the Game 7 thriller to secure their first trip to the World Series since Joe Carter launched them to the championship in 1993. Springer’s 23rd career postseason home run, which ties him for third all time, was one of the biggest of his career.
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Blue Jays crack Seattle’s pitching in seventh
Mariners manager Dan Wilson pulled starter George Kirby after four one-run innings and 65 pitches. He entrusted the middle innings to All-Star Bryan Woo, who has been a starter for his entire MLB career but took on a bullpen role in the ALCS after finishing the regular season on the injured list due to a pectoral injury.
Woo delivered shutout innings in the fifth and sixth. But he cracked in the seventh. He issued a leadoff walk to Addison Barger, then put two runners on with no outs on an Isiah Kiner-Falefa single. Then Andrés Giménez moved the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt.
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With Springer on deck, Woo’s night was finished. And even though closer Andres Muñoz was rested and available, Bazardo took over on the mound.
Springer cleared the bases on Bazardo’s second pitch of the night.
Toronto bullpen shuts down Seattle bats
Blue Jays relievers Seranthony DomÃnguez, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman combined for four hitless, shutout innings to finish the game following a shaky start from Shane Bieber and a Cal Raleigh home run allowed by Louis Varland that stood as the last Seattle hit of the night.
And after anxiously watching the first six innings, Toronto fans rocked Rogers Centre like it was 1993 over the course of the final frames after Springer’s blast. Now they’ll host at least two more games before the postseason is done. The Blue Jays advance to take on the juggernaut Dodgers in the World Series, with Los Angeles seeking its second straight championship.
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The victory for the Blue Jays spoiled what looked like a coronation for Seattle’s young stars, as Julio RodrÃguez and Raleigh each delivered home runs to stake Seattle to an early lead. Instead, the Mariners are left to wonder what might’ve been after they had a 3-2 lead in this series and let an elusive trip to the World Series slip from their grasp.
Mariners leave runs on the board
While Kirby limited to Toronto to four hits across four one-run innings, Mariners bats repeatedly peppered Bieber from the start.
RodrÃguez led off the game with a double and came around to score for a 1-0 lead. He put the Mariners back on top with a solo home run off Bieber to lead off the third.
When Bieber walked Victor Robles to put two runners on with two outs in the fourth, his night was finished. He left the game having allowed eight baserunners on seven hits and two walks. But only two of those came around to score.
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The Mariners stranded two runners in the second inning after both reached with no outs. They stranded two again after Bieber’s exit in the fourth, when reliever Louis Varland induced an inning-ending groundout from RodrÃguez.
Raleigh then led off the fifth with his solo shot to extend the Seattle lead to 3-1.
Seattle was in control, but there was a sense of lost opportunity with six runners left on base through the first four innings. As it turned out, the Mariners needed at least two more runs that they did not get.
The Mariners didn’t record another hit after Raleigh’s home run. And they left nine runners on base on a night when the Blue Jays surrendered eight hits and four walks. This after Seattle twice left the bases loaded without scoring in Sunday’s 6-2 loss in Game 6.
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With that, a sensational season comes to an end after a campaign that lit up Seattle and could earn Raleigh AL MVP. But the Mariners will watch the World Series from home, if they can stomach it.
Vlad Guerrero earns ALCS MVP
Springer was the hero of the night. But it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who took home the ALCS MVP. The slugger hit 10-of-26 (.385) in the series, with three home runs that put him up to six home runs in this postseason.
The Blue Jays will certainly need more heroics from Guerrero and Springer against a Dodgers team that rode ace starting pitching and a historic effort from presumed NL MVP Shohei Ohtani in a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
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The Jays have a few days to bask in their ALCS victory and get ready for the World Series before hosting the Dodgers in Game 1 on Friday (8 p.m. ET, Fox).
Live coverage is over37 updates
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 11:12 PM EDT
Game 1 is at 8 p.m. ET in Toronto.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 11:02 PM EDT
Julio strikes out, and the game is over.
The Blue Jays are going to the World Series, which begins Friday in Toronto.
The Mariners’ season, in which they made it further in the playoffs than ever before, is over.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:59 PM EDT
Canzone strikes out, and it’s Julio at the plate with the Mariners down to their last out.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:59 PM EDT
George Springer is now tied for third in MLB history with 23 postseason home runs.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:57 PM EDT
Rivas swings at ball four, and that’s a strikeout to start the inning for Hoffman.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:54 PM EDT
IKF grounds out, and we’re on to the ninth inning.
It’s Jeff Hoffman on the mound for Toronto. He threw 35 pitches last night.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:53 PM EDT
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:50 PM EDT
Muñoz allowed back-to-back singles to Varsho and Clement to start the inning. Then Barger grounded to Naylor at first for a quick double play.
Runner on third, two outs, bottom of the eighth.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:49 PM EDT
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:47 PM EDT
Andres Muñoz is now pitching for Seattle — one inning too late, some would argue.
Mon, October 20, 2025 at 10:46 PM EDT
Chris Bassitt throws a quick 1-2-3 inning, and just like that, the Mariners are three outs away from elimination.
Jason Owens
The Blue Jays did no more damage after George Springer’s game-altering home run. But that was all they needed for the moment.
Toronto has a 4-3 lead after seven innings and is now six outs away from a trip to the World Series.
Jason Owens
Well, that happened fast. Seattle was cruising, seemingly in control with a 3-1 lead.
But George Springer turned the tide of the game with a single swing of his bat, launching a three-run home run into the left-field stands to flip the script to a 4-3 Blue Jays lead in the bottom of the seventh.
A once-anxious Rogers Centre crowd is now in a frenzy with a trip to the World Series in sight.
Jason Owens
Bryan Woo allowed a leadoff walk to Addison Barger and a single to Isiah Kiner-Falefa to start the sixth.
Andres Gimenez advanced to second and third with a bunt, and Wood’s night is done with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. The tying runs are on base, and the top of the Toronto order is up with George Springer first.
Eduard Bazardo takes over out of the Seattle bullpen to try to get out of the jam as the Mariners have a tenuous hold on a 3-1 lead.
Jason Owens
The Mariners had two runners on after two-out walks of Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor. But Jorge Polanco hit into an inning-ending double play to end the scoring threat.
Seattle maintains a 3-1 lead through six innings with a trip to the World Series at stake.
Jason Owens
Bryan Woo allowed the first hit of his outing on an Alejandro Kirk single, but allowed no further damage in his second inning out of the Seattle bullpen in the sixth.
The All-Star starter from the regular season led off the inning with a swinging strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and finished the frame with a groundout of Ernie Clement.
Seattle has a 3-1 lead through six and is now nine outs from a trip to the World Series.
Jason Owens
Seranthony Dominguez needed just seven pitches out of the bullpen to retire the Seattle side in the sixth inning.
Now it’s up to Toronto’s bats as Seattle maintains a 3-1 lead in the middle of the sixth.
Jason Owens
All-Star Bryan Woo took over on the mound out of the Seattle bullpen with a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. He did his part with a scoreless frame that ended with a double play on a Nathan Lukes ground ball.
Seattle starter George Kirby pitched four strong innings, allowing four hits, one walk and a single earned run.
Woo earned his first All-Star bid as a starter in the regular season but finished the season on the injured list due to a pectoral injury. He’s now back on the roster and pitching in the biggest spot of his career. The Mariners are 12 outs away from the World Series.
Jason Owens
Julio Rodriguez hit a home run in the third inning. Cal Raleigh joined him in the fifth.
The 2025 home run king and MVP candidate led off the top of the fifth with a towering blast into the right-field stands off a Louis Varland changeup. The home run is Raleigh’s fifth of the postseason and 65th overall in 2024.
Seattle’s stars are showing out, and the Mariners have a 3-1 lead in the middle of the fifth with a trip to the World Series at stake.
Jason Owens
While Toronto starter Shane Beiber is done, Seattle starter George Kirby is settling in.
Kirby allowed a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth but got out of the frame without allowing a run. He’s up to 65 pitches with three strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run to cross since the first inning.