Blue Jays lose heartbreaker in Game 7 of World Series as Dodgers complete epic comeback
CBC
In the end, the comeback team just couldn’t muster one more.
The Toronto Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings on Saturday in Toronto, marking the Dodgers’ second straight championship.
In the other dugout, the Blue Jays were vying for their first title in 32 years. But it wasn’t to be, as Will Smith’s 11th-inning home run to left field ultimately proved to be the difference.
During the regular season, the Blue Jays led MLB with 49 comeback wins — a stat they wore as a badge of honour, a statement of their never-say-die attitude.
And so even when their 3-0 lead had evaporated into a 5-4 deficit in the 11th, they could plausibly still employ the classic line: got ‘em right where we want ‘em.
Instead, the Blue Jays let their final opportunity slip through their fingers.
“We had our chances. We had our chances to beat them soundly. But we didn’t. And that’s baseball,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, fighting back tears while he battled through his post-game press conference.
The Blue Jays were two outs from glory in the ninth inning when the Dodgers' No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas hit one of the most shocking home runs in baseball history, tying the game at four against Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman.
“It’s supposed to end differently,” Hoffman said. “I cost everybody in here a World Series ring.”
With the damage limited there, the Blue Jays loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, only for a groundout and deep flyout to prevent the winning run from scoring.
The Jays escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, but went down quietly in their half.
Then, the Smith homer.
Once again, in the 11th inning, the Blue Jays had their chances — even against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched one day after tossing six strong innings in Game 6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Addison Barger walked, putting the winning run on base.
But Alejandro Kirk hit a ground ball to shortstop Mookie Betts. It had the looks of a tailor-made double play — and, indeed, it was.
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