The Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the World Series for the first time in over three decades after edging the Seattle Mariners 4–3 in a thrilling Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Monday night at Rogers Centre. The decisive blow came in the bottom of the seventh inning when George Springer launched a three-run home run to left field, flipping a 3–1 deficit into a one-run Toronto lead. The blast, reminiscent of José Bautista’s iconic “bat flip” home run a decade ago, sent the 44,770 fans inside Rogers Centre into a frenzy.. Not to mention across the country. The final out left Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh, who hit 65 home runs this season, waiting in the on-deck circle. Jeff Hoffman’s performance came after Chris Bassitt worked a clean eighth inning, preserving the narrow lead Springer had delivered.Springer, who had been struggling at the plate since being hit by a pitch earlier in the series, entered the game hitless in his last several at-bats. His seventh-inning shot off reliever Eduard Bazardo turned the game and the series on its head..It felt like the whole stadium was shaking,” said one fan after the game, echoing the atmosphere of Bautista’s famous 2015 home run.Seattle appeared to be in control for much of the night. Starting pitcher George Kirby held the Blue Jays to just two hits through four innings before being pulled in a surprise move by manager Scott Servais.His replacement, Bryan Woo, kept Toronto off balance until the seventh, when the bullpen began to unravel. Earlier, Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh’s solo home run in the fifth inning extended Seattle’s lead to 3–1, but after Springer’s blast, the Mariners couldn’t mount another rally against Toronto’s bullpen..Blue Jays starter Shane Bieber lasted just three and two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits and two runs before giving way to Louis Varland, who steadied the game and kept Toronto within striking distance. Despite quiet bats for most of the contest, the Blue Jays capitalized when it mattered most. A leadoff walk and a single in the seventh set the stage for Springer’s game-changing swing.Across Toronto, thousands of fans gathered at public watch parties, including one led by Mayor Olivia Chow at David Pecaut Square. Chow joined fans in chants of “Let’s go Blue Jays” as the team mounted its late-game comeback. “It’s absolutely wonderful to watch the Jays game together,” she told reporters. “The feeling is incredible.”With the 4–3 victory, the Blue Jays will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, which begins Friday at Rogers Centre. It will be Toronto’s first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1993, when the team won back-to-back championships. For fans who have waited more than 30 years, the wait is finally over as the Blue Jays once again play for a title.
