Shushkewich: Second and third none out ... nada for Jays ... on to Game 7

Blue Jays Addison Barger was doubled off second — with George Springer on deck — to end Game 6 and force a Game 7.

October 31, 2025

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The phrase Game 7 at the Rogers Centre seems all too common this postseason for the Toronto Blue Jays.

After taking the Seattle Mariners in a ‘do-or-die’ matchup in the American League Championship Series, the Blue Jays find themselves in a similar situation against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. While the Jays fought their way back from a deficit to tie the series against the Mariners in Game 6 and eventually won Game 7, Toronto squandered the opportunity the wrap up the World Series Friday night.

Credit where credit is due, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one tough customer on the mound, and the Dodger bats can give any opposing team’s pitching staff fits on the mound. But the Blue Jays had ample opportunities to add to the run they generated in the third inning and could not capitalize when it mattered. They were 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and while they collected eight hits, they couldn’t deliver when needed.

None greater did the consequences of their own actions came back to haunt them than in the bottom of the ninth. Down by two, the Jays needed some late-inning heroics if there was to be an early parade on Front Street this weekend.

With Roki Sasaki returning to the mound for the ninth after battling through the eighth, there was a glimmer of hope for the Jays faithful. The hard-throwing Japanese star had trouble locating his split-finger, and while the Jays couldn’t bring George Springer to the plate, opportunity came knocking early.

Lead-off man Alejandro Kirk was hit on the hand and Myles Straw pinch ran. Addison Barger’s lined a four-seam fastball that lodged between the wall’s foam padding and the warning track turf. CF Justin Dean put his hands up to signal to the umpire that the ball was indeed stuck in the wall.

Straw and Barger wound up at third and second, respectively. Replay review showed that the call stood. Still, the Jays were in great shape with nobody out and contact hitters Ernie Clement and Andres Gimenez due up.

The Dodgers brought in Tyler Glasnow, but the good vibes at the Rogers Centre were gone in three pitches. Glasnow challenged Clement with an inside fastball, which resulted in an easy pop up to first.

It’s not unlike Clement to swing at the first pitch, although the stats don’t favor him in this count - he authored a .252/.250/.426 slash line in 115 at-bats with a .223 BABIP during the regular season on the first pitch.

Jays’ manager John Schneider chose to leave Gimenez in the game to face Glasnow, a decision that will likely be debated by the fan base for quite some time. Gimenez posted solid numbers this postseason and even better numbers with RISP, going 7-for-16 going into the ninth. The Jays had other options such as Davis Schneider (who has reverse splits when it comes to the right/left matchups).

What unfolded was a soft contact to left field after two pitches. Off the bat, it looked like the ball might fall in for a hit, but Erique Hernandez grabbed it on the run.

Barger was fooled, roaming too far and doubled off at second to end the game. It was a heartbreaking way to send the Jays and Dodgers to a Game 7 when the tying run was on second base with none out.

Overall, it was a total base-running miscue – Barger read the ball incorrectly and got doubled up accordingly – something he admitted post-game. However, it came at a time when base running miscues of that nature are not acceptable, and now the Jays will have to contend with the Dodgers for another game at the Rogers Centre with the World Series title on the line.

Now, it’s easy to armchair quarterback this inning to the 10th degree. Following Gimenez’s out, there was no guarantee that Straw scored on that play -- if Barger had been safe at second -- nor is there any indication that George Springer was going to bring home the tying run game. But Springer never got the chance.

We could sit here and argue that Gimenez shouldn’t have been at the plate. The bigger issue with this whole scenario is how the Jays’ bats couldn’t capitalize on a prime opportunity.

Swinging at a first pitch from Glasnow is the wrong move, regardless of Clement’s contact ability. Potentially keeping Gimenez in that spot is a debatable call, one that is an article in its own right, and Barger should know better on the base paths when it comes to moments such as that. He wasn’t going to score on the play unless Hernandez was dove and completely botched the play, with the ball rattling down towards the foul line.

Any coach worth would tell you to tag up to prevent the exact thing Barger ran into, and this when the lights were shining the brightest.

Because of these miscues and some earlier missed opportunities, the Blue Jays will play their second Game 7 ... this one for the World Series.