BWDIK: Game 6, Guerrero Jr., McGriff, Sabrowski, Yesavage
Topps produced this card shortly after Trey Yesavage‘s dominant performance in Game 5 of the World Series.
October 31, 2025
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
It’s a special Friday and Halloween edition of my Sunday column (I have a commitment on Sunday morning).
Game 6
The Toronto Blue Jays face the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rogers Centre in Game 6 of the World Series tonight at 8 p.m. E.T. Up 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, the Blue Jays have a chance to win their first Fall Classic in 32 years.
Right-hander Kevin Gausman will start for the Blue Jays against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has tossed complete games in his last two starts.
And this might be a good omen for the Canadian baseball fans: the Blue Jays have clinched both of their World Series titles (1992 and 1993) in Game 6.
October 24, 1992 – Game 6
The Blue Jays downed the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in 11 innings at Fulton County Stadium to win their first World Series title.
October 23, 1993 – Game 6
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.
Some Fun Facts about the Blue Jays this postseason
-This is the latest date in any year that the Blue Jays have played a game. It will also be their first game on Halloween.
–According to TSN, the Blue Jays have a chance to become the first MLB team to win the World Series on Halloween.
-The Blue Jays’ win on Wednesday was their 10th of this year’s postseason. They had 94 regular season victories. When you add them together, they have won 104 games this season, which ties them with the 1992 Blue Jays (96 regular season wins + eight postseason wins) for the most in franchise history. Hat tip to Sportsnet Stats for this.
-The last game of this year’s postseason will be played at Rogers Centre. This will mark the first time in MLB history that the first game of the regular season and the last game of the postseason have been played outside of the U.S. The Dodgers opened the season with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo, Japan on March 18.
Canadians watching Blue Jays in record numbers
According to Sportsnet, 7.2 million viewers watched Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday. That’s the largest number of viewers ever for a Sportsnet Blue Jays broadcast. To put that number into perspective, Canada’s total population is about 41 million. That means that about one in every six people across the country was tuned in.
Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer has started for four different teams in the World Series.
Some Blue Jays firsts in this postseason
Here are some “firsts” from this postseason:
-When Max Scherzer started on Tuesday, he became the first pitcher to start for four different MLB teams in the World Series (Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Blue Jays).
-When Alejandro Kirk homered in Game 1, he became the first player born in Mexico to homer in the World Series.
–According to Sportsnet Stats, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is the first player in MLB history to have at least 25 hits, eight home runs and 15 RBIs in one postseason.
–According to the Blue Jays, Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement are the first two major league teammates to each have 25 or more hits in the same postseason. Guerrero Jr. has 27 and Clement has 25.
-With his dominant start in Game 5, Trey Yesavage became the first rookie pitcher to record 12 strikeouts in a World Series game. He broke Brooklyn Dodgers right-hander Don Newcombe‘s record set in Game 1 of the 1949 World Series.
–According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, Yesavage also became the first pitcher in MLB history to notch 12 strikeouts without walking a batter in a World Series game.
–According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, Yesavage also became the first rookie pitcher in MLB history with multiple 10-strikeout postseason games before turning 23. In Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, Yesavage struck out 11 batters in 5 1/3 no-hit innings.
Blue Jays postseason records that have been broken
-Guerrero Jr.’s 27 hits are the most by a Blue Jay in the postseason. Paul Molitor held the previous record with 21 in 1993. Note: Clement has also passed Molitor.
-Guerrero’s eight home runs are the most by a Blue Jay in the postseason. Jose Bautista and Joe Carter held the previous record with six.
-Yesavage’s 39 strikeouts are a franchise record for a single postseason. The previous record was 23 held by David Price in 2015. Hat tip to Stat Muse.
-The 4 2/3 innings that left-hander Eric Lauer threw in the 18-inning Game 3 World Series marathon represents the longest postseason relief outing by a Blue Jays pitcher.
-Kirk has five home runs this postseason. That ties a major league record for most home runs by a catcher in a single postseason with Cal Raleigh (2025) and Sandy Alomar Jr. (1997).
Sending my best to Rodger Brulotte
I’m sending my best to Montreal Expos legendary broadcaster Rodger Brulotte who underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his spine earlier this month and is reportedly recovering well.
In recent years, the 78-year-old Brulotte had been calling Blue Jays games in French, but he’s best known as the French voice of the Expos. In 1983, he was hired to work broadcasts on the Expos’ French radio network alongside Jacques Doucet. For close to two decades, he teamed with Doucet to call many of the franchise’s most famous moments.
Brulotte’s resume also boasts more than 20 years on TV in which he served as an analyst on Expos broadcasts, all-star games and postseason contests. He was the winner of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award in 2013.
Left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) turns 28 today.
Happy Birthday to Erik Sabrowski!
Cleveland Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski was born on this date, in Edmonton, Alta., 28 years ago.
Sabrowski honed his skills with the Edmonton Prospects Academy before embarking on a collegiate career. He was a two-way player for Cisco Junior College and Cloud County Community College before he was selected in the 14th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres.
Sabrowski focused on pitching in the Padres’ organization. Unfortunately, before he threw his first professional pitch he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed his pro debut until 2021 when he posted a 2-0 record and a 1.86 ERA in eight appearances (three starts) with the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps.
Following that season, he was selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Guardians. But he’d miss the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. He returned midway through the 2023 season and received his first big-league call-up on August 28, 2024. He proceeded to strike out 19 batters in 12 2/3 innings and did not allow a run in eight appearances down the stretch for the Guardians. That performance earned him a spot on the Guardians’ postseason roster.
After missing the first three months of the 2025 season with left elbow inflammation, Sabrowski returned to become a key member of the Guardians’ bullpen. In 33 relief appearances, he registered a 1.84 ERA and fanned 42 batters in 29 1/3 innings.
Remembering Rocky Nelson
International League slugger and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rocky Nelson passed away at the age of 81 on this date 19 years ago.
Though he enjoyed several stints in the majors, Nelson is best known as an International League superstar. Employing an unorthodox batting stance, Nelson became the only player to capture the International League MVP award three times – with the Montreal Royals in 1953 and 1955 and with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1958. He also won two triple crowns: in 1955, he hit .364 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs, and in 1958, he topped the circuit with a .326 batting average, 43 home runs and 120 RBIs.
Despite terrorizing International League pitching, Nelson was never a regular in the big leagues. His most successful season was with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1960, when he platooned with Dick Stuart at first base. After hitting .300 in the regular season, Nelson smacked a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 7 of the World Series against the Yankees. His home run would help set the stage for Bill Mazeroski’s storied ninth-inning walk-off homer.
Happy Birthday to Fred McGriff!
Hall of Fame slugger Fred McGriff turns 62 today.
On December 9, 1982, astute Blue Jays general manager Pat Gillick managed to acquire a 19-year-old McGriff along with outfielder Dave Collins and pitcher Mike Morgan from the Yankees for reliever Dale Murray and third base prospect Tom Dodd that December.
After four seasons in the Blue Jays’ minors, McGriff belted 20 home runs in his first full season with the big league club in 1987. The following campaign, McGriff enjoyed his first of 10, 30-home run seasons in the big leagues. The next year, he topped the American League with 36 home runs and a .924 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS).
In 1990, McGriff clubbed 35 more homers for the Blue Jays before he was dealt to the Padres, along with Tony Fernandez, for Joe Carter and Roberto Alomar in a blockbuster deal that December.
Despite only playing five seasons with the Blue Jays, McGriff still ranks third in franchise history in on-base percentage (.389), slugging percentage (.530) and OPS (.919). He also clubbed his first 125 major league home runs with the Blue Jays.
Heritage Auctions coming to Canadian ball hall
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is teaming up with Heritage Auctions to host two appraisal events at the museum on November 4 and 5.
For a $10 (per person) donation, visitors can have up to three sports items reviewed by Heritage Auctions expert Tony Giese who will provide them with a verbal appraisal of its value. The $10 donation will also include admission to the museum.
Giese will be available at the Hall of Fame on Tuesday, November 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Wednesday, November 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More details can be found here.