TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are headed back to the World Series for the first time in more than three decades after staging a dramatic late-game comeback to defeat the Seattle Mariners 4–3 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) on Monday night at Rogers Centre.
With the Jays trailing 3–1 in the seventh inning, George Springer delivered one of the biggest swings in franchise history — a towering three-run home run that electrified more than 44,000 fans and propelled Toronto to the AL pennant.
“There’s probably not another person on planet Earth I’d want up there,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, praising Springer’s “October magic.”
Seattle opened the scoring with solo home runs that pushed them to an early 3–1 lead, but Toronto’s bullpen held strong while the offense rallied late. The Jays used six pitchers in total, with starter Shane Bieber lasting just under four innings before the bullpen — including Louis Varland, Seranthony Domínguez, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and closer Jeff Hoffman — shut down the Mariners.
Hoffman struck out all three batters in the ninth to seal the win, his second straight series-saving performance after closing out Game 6.
“This is what you play for,” Springer said before the game — and then proved it.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was named ALCS MVP, said the team is already focused on the next challenge. “The job’s not finished. We got four more to go,” he said, referring to the best-of-seven World Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning Friday.
For the Mariners, the loss was heartbreaking. Seattle has still never reached the World Series, despite ending a 24-year wait just to return to the ALCS. Manager Dan Wilson called it “a shame” but told his players to hold their heads high.
For Toronto, the win represents a full-circle moment. The franchise last reached — and won — the World Series in 1992 and 1993, led by legends like Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar. Now, a new generation of Blue Jays — many of whom weren’t even born the last time the team reached the Fall Classic — have given fans another October to remember.
As the champagne flowed and the crowd roared, Schneider summed up the emotion of the night: “This team never gave up — and now, we’re going to the World Series.”