Every spring, all across the country, kids pick up a baseball bat or a glove for the first time and begin to dream.
Facing off against a pitching machine, they imagine themselves playing in Game 7 of the World Series, with the chance to hit the home run that decides a championship. Shagging fly balls in the outfield, they envision the feeling of securing an out that saves their season.
On Saturday, those dreams became real for about 20 members of the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
Toronto entered the ninth inning holding a 4–3 lead and needing just three outs to secure their first championship since 1993. Closer Jeff Hoffman, who had come in to secure the last out of the eighth inning, was back on the mound to finish things out.
It was Miguel Rojas that first got to live the dream. With the Dodgers down to their final two outs, Rojas worked the count full before smacking a home run to left field to tie the game and suck every ounce of air out of the Rogers Centre.
Hoffman got out of the inning from there, bringing the Blue Jays to the plate with a chance to walk things off for a title.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the inning batting against Blake Snell, and for a moment it felt like he might just finish things on his own. Instead, he hit a fly out to center. But after a Bo Bichette single was followed by a walk and a HBP, the bases were loaded with one out.
Bichette was pulled for pinch runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa, as he’s still somewhat hobbled coming back from injury. The Dodgers pulled Snell and put Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto back on the mound.
Yamamoto delivered to Daulton Varsho, who smacked a grounder to second base. The ball was fielded by Rojas, who briefly double-clutched before firing a bullet home to catcher Will Smith. Smith’s foot briefly came off of the bag, but he got it back down for the force out before Kiner-Falefa could slide in safe.
It was this close folks.
Two outs.
Next up it was Ernie Clement, who with his third hit of the day in his previous at-bat had set a record with 30 hits this postseason, more than any player in MLB history. Now he needed one more.
Clement gave the first pitch he saw a ride to left center. With the outfield in, left fielder Kiké Hernández was sprinting backwards to get under the ball, but center fielder Andy Pages, who had just been put into the game as a defensive sub for the Dodgers, would meet him in the space and ultimately came down with the catch after a heart-stopping collision to get out of the inning.
It was the first live ball he had touched all night.
And with that, Game 7 of the World Series was on to extras.
Both teams failed to get a run across in the 10th. Last time these sides went to extras, we played into the 18th inning. Now it’s happening with a championship on the line.
How can you not be romantic about baseball?
