BWDIK: Bautista, Game 6, Gardiner, McKay, Naylor, Thomson, Toro

Joe Carter delivered a walk-off, World Series-winning home run in the most exciting Game 6 in Toronto Blue Jays’ postseason history.

October 19, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Game 6

The Toronto Blue Jays must beat the Seattle Mariners in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series tonight at 8 p.m. E.T. at Rogers Centre to extend their season.

So, how have the Blue Jays performed in Game 6 in previous postseasons?

Well, they own a 4-2 record, with both of their World Series titles (1992 and 1993) being secured in a Game 6.

Here’s the Blue Jays’ Game 6 history:

October 15, 1985 – Game 6, 1985 ALCS

The Kansas City Royals beat the Blue Jays 5-3 at Exhibition Stadium to even up the best-of-seven series 3-3.

October 14, 1992 – Game 6, ALCS

The Blue Jays defeated the Oakland A’s 9-2 at SkyDome to advance to their first World Series.

October 24, 1992 – Game 6, World Series

The Blue Jays downed the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in 11 innings at Fulton County Stadium to win their first World Series title.

October 12, 1993 – Game 6, ALCS

The Blue Jays doubled the Chicago White Sox 6-3 at Comiskey Park to advance to their second straight World Series.

October 23, 1993 – Game 6, World Series

Joe Carter belted a walk-off, World Series-winning, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Blue Jays an 8-6 win at SkyDome.

October 23, 2015 – Game 6, ALCS

The Blue Jays lost 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Naylor makes more Canadian postseason history

With his three-hit performance in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Blue Jays, Mariners slugger Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) now has four, three-hit games this postseason. That’s the most by a Canadian in a single MLB postseason since 1900.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame also noted that Naylor has now played 29 postseason games which has moved him past Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) into third place on the all-time Canadian list. He trails only Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) who played in 58 postseason contests and Tip O’Neill (Woodstock, Ont.) who competed in 38.

Thomson to return to Phillies in 2026

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski confirmed in a press conference on Thursday that Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) will return as field manager in 2026.

Dombrowski also said that he expects to add another year to Thomson’s contract, which is set to expire at the end of next season.

Since taking over as Phillies manager on June 4, 2022, Thomson has led the Phillies to four straight postseason appearances. His .580 winning percentage is the best among Phillies skippers who have managed at least 150 games for the club. However, when the Phillies were ousted in the National League Division Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, it marked their second straight early postseason exit. This fueled speculation that Thomson might not be back in 2026.

Thomson told reporters that he’s confident the Phillies will contend for a World Series title next year and he has not lost his desire to manage.

“I am who I am,” Thomson told reporters on Thursday. “I don’t know how long I’m going to manage. You’ve got to have somebody that wants you first. I’ve said it many times the last four years, but this has been the most fun in my career. It has to do with the people in the organization. . . . As long as I’m happy and my family’s happy, I’m having fun and they want me, I’ll manage. But when I’m not having fun, they don’t want me, when I feel like I’m getting in the way, it’s time to go home.”

Happy Birthday to Jose Bautista!

Former Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista turns 45 today.

On August 21, 2008, he was traded to the Blue Jays by the Pittsburgh Pirates in a lopsided deal for catcher Robinzon Diaz. After serving as a part-time player in 2009, Bautista worked with Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston and hitting coach Dwayne Murphy to adjust his swing and he enjoyed a breakout season in 2010. That campaign he set a new franchise record with 54 home runs. He followed that up with his best all-around season in 2011 when he hit .302 and topped the AL in home runs (43), slugging percentage (.608), OPS (1.056) and walks (132).

Over the next six seasons with the Blue Jays, Bautista continued to be one of the game’s most feared sluggers. He had 30-home run, 100-RBI seasons in 2014 and 2015, and in the latter year, he helped propel the Blue Jays to their first division title in 22 years. He then cemented his legacy as a clutch performer with four postseason home runs, including his famous “bat flip” homer in Game 5 of the 2015 American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers.

In all, in parts of 10 seasons with the Blue Jays, Bautista played 1,235 games. He ranks near the top in many of the club’s all-time offensive categories, including first in WAR (38.3) and second in home runs (288). For his efforts, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.

McKay to return to Diamondbacks’ staff in 2026

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo recently shared that he planned to bring his 2025 coaching staff back next season. That will include Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.) as the club’s first base/baserunning coach. It will mark McKay’s 56th consecutive year in professional baseball and his 42nd as a coach. That makes him the longest tenured coach in the majors.

McKay’s career in professional baseball began when he was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Twins on June 20, 1971. He’d played parts of 13 seasons, including big league stops with the Twins, Blue Jays and A’s before accepting a coaching position with the A’s.

When Tony La Russa was named A’s manager in 1986, McKay was retained as a coach. He worked on La Russa’s staff for more than two decades and moved with the Hall of Fame skipper to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996.

After LaRussa retired, McKay served as the first base coach with the Chicago Cubs in 2012 and 2013 and was named to the same post with the Diamondbacks in 2014, where he continues today.

McKay, who turned 75 in March, owns three World Series rings, securing one in 1989 with Oakland and two with St. Louis (2006, 2011).

Great Canadian Thanksgiving trivia question

Canadian baseball historian David Matchett recently shared this great trivia question with me: who are the only two Canadians to homer on Canadian Thanksgiving?

The answer is Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) and Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.).

Stairs hit his Thanksgiving homer for the Phillies on October 13, 2008. It was a two-run blast in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS off Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton that broke a 5-5 tie and propelled the Phillies to a 7-5 win.

Naylor’s Thanksgiving homer came last Monday against the Blue Jays. It was a two-run shot off Braydon Fisher in the seventh inning. Matchett pointed out that Naylor’s home run made him the only Canadian to homer on Canadian Thanksgiving in a game played in Canada.

Dempster inducted into Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

Congratulations to longtime Chicago Cubs pitcher and broadcaster Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.) who was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

“From reliable closer to All-Star starter, and a World Series champ to a fan favourite in the broadcast booth, his legacy in Chicago baseball is one of grit, heart, and humor,” wrote the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in a social media post. “We are proud to welcome him as a new member of the Hall of Fame!”

Dempster enjoyed his greatest big league success with the Cubs. In his first four seasons at Wrigley, he was employed as a reliever and from 2005 to 2007, he registered 33, 24 and 28 saves respectively. The Cubs converted him into a starter in 2008 and he rewarded them by delivering his best major league season, going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 206-2/3 innings in 33 starts. He followed that up with three more campaigns in which he logged at least 200 innings for the Cubs.

Dempster is currently an analyst with the MLB Network and an assistant to the Cubs’ president.

Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.) delivers his induction speech at the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame ceremony on Wednesday. Photo: Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame

Happy Birthday Mike Gardiner!

Former big league right-hander Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.) turns 60 today.

Selected in the 18th round of the 1987 MLB amateur draft by the Mariners, he made his big league debut on September 8, 1990. He’d make five appearances for the Mariners that season prior to being dealt to the Boston Red Sox. He started a career-high 22 games for the Sox in 1991 and 18 more in 1992.

In December 1992, he was dealt to the Montreal Expos. He pitched in 24 games for the Expos in 1993 before landing with the Detroit Tigers. In all, he appeared in 136 games in parts of six major league seasons.

After hanging up his professional playing spikes, Gardiner settled in Charlotte, N.C., where he ran Stealth Baseball, a non-profit organization that emphasized physical, mental and emotional growth in players.

“Blue Monday” was 44 years ago

It was on a chilly fall day in Montreal 44 years ago that the Expos and Dodgers played the fifth and deciding game of the National League Championship Series at Olympic Stadium.

The contest turned out to be a pitchers’ duel between Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela and Expos starter Ray Burris and the teams were deadlocked 1-1 late in the game. After sending Tim Wallach to the plate to bat for Burris in the bottom of the eighth, Expos manager Jim Fanning summoned ace Steve Rogers to make a rare relief appearance in the ninth.

After retiring Steve Garvey and Ron Cey, Rogers faced outfielder Rick Monday who proceeded to belt a 3-1 pitch over the right-centre field wall for a go-ahead home run. The Expos would threaten with two runners on base in the bottom of the inning, but Jerry White grounded out to second base on the first pitch he saw to end the game, leaving Expos players and fans heartbroken.

The game is known as “Blue Monday” in Expos’ lore. It would be the closest the Expos would come to a World Series appearance.

Toro elects free agency

On October 11, switch-hitting infielder Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) elected to become a free agent.

The versatile 28-year-old was a valuable contributor with the Red Sox for a large part of the 2025 season. In 77 games, he batted .239 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. He had 62 hits – including 13 doubles – and 33 runs. He spent the rest of the season with triple-A Worcester where he hit .272 with eight home runs and an .839 OPS in 51 games.

In total, Toro owns a .223 batting average with 41 home runs in 442 games in parts of seven big league seasons with the Houston Astros, Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, A’s and Red Sox.