It was the kind of night that makes you hate being a sports fan, right until it makes you love it again. If you were anywhere near a TV on October 20, 2025, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The Seattle Toronto Game 7 was more than just a baseball game; it was a collective holding of breath across two countries. One city was looking to end the longest pennant drought in the history of the sport, and the other was trying to reclaim a glory they hadn't felt since the early nineties.
Honestly, the energy at Rogers Centre was vibrating through the screen. You had Seattle fans—who had traveled in packs—daring to believe that this was finally the year. And then George Springer happened.
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The Hope That Killed Seattle
Most people look at the final score, 4-3, and think it was a tight back-and-forth affair. It wasn't. For six and a half innings, the Seattle Mariners were essentially in the driver's seat. They looked like the better team. Julio Rodríguez, playing like a man possessed, doubled on the second pitch of the game and scored immediately. By the time Cal Raleigh—who basically became a folk hero in the Pacific Northwest with his 60-homer season—launched a solo shot in the fifth, it felt like destiny.
3-1 Mariners.
Seattle’s George Kirby had been dealing. He only went four innings because the Mariners' manager, Dan Wilson, was managing like his life depended on it, pulling Kirby before the Jays could see him a third time. It felt smart. It felt calculated. It felt like the "safe" way to get to a World Series.
But baseball doesn't care about your calculations.
That Fateful Seventh Inning
If you ask any Mariners fan about the bottom of the seventh, they'll probably look away. It’s a trauma response. Eduard Bazardo was on the mound. Two runners on. George Springer, a guy who had been booed relentlessly throughout the series because of his past with the Astros, stepped up.
He didn't just hit a home run. He exorcised a decade of Toronto’s playoff frustrations with one swing.
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The ball was a no-doubter. A three-run shot that flipped a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead in about four seconds. The sound of that stadium? Deafening. It’s weird how a game can shift so violently on a single pitch. One minute, Seattle is planning a parade; the next, they're watching the Blue Jays celebrate at the plate.
Seattle Toronto Game 7: What Most People Get Wrong
There's this narrative that Seattle "choked." That’s a bit of a lazy take, honestly. If you look at the stats, the Mariners actually outplayed Toronto in several categories during that winner-take-all game. They had traffic on the bases all night.
The real issue wasn't a "choke"—it was efficiency.
- Seattle went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
- They left seven men on base.
- They hit only .195 with men on over the entire seven-game series.
Toronto, meanwhile, lived and died by the big blow. They didn't need ten hits; they just needed the right one. Shane Bieber didn't even last four innings for the Jays, but their bullpen—specifically Jeff Hoffman and Seranthony Domínguez—locked the door. The Mariners didn't even get a baserunner in the final two innings. Not one.
The Legacy of the 2025 ALCS
This game changed things for both franchises. For the Blue Jays, it was a validation of years of "almost" and "not quite." It sent them to their first World Series since 1993, a matchup against the Dodgers that people are still talking about. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. showing up to the stadium in an Auston Matthews jersey? That was the vibe. Pure Toronto confidence.
For Seattle, the Seattle Toronto Game 7 loss is now etched alongside the 116-win season in 2001 as the ultimate "what if." They remain the only team in MLB without a pennant. It’s brutal. You’ve got a superstar like Julio who delivered a home run and a double in the biggest game of his life, only to strike out for the final out while Raleigh waited on deck.
Actionable Takeaways for the Next Season
If you're a fan or an analyst looking at how these two teams move forward from that historic Game 7, keep an eye on these specific shifts:
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- Bullpen Volatility: Seattle’s reliance on high-leverage matchups (like bringing in Bazardo for the Springer at-bat) shows that regular-season success doesn't always translate to postseason "feel." Expect the M's to look for more veteran "stoppers" this offseason.
- The "Springer Factor": Postseason experience matters. Say what you want about his history, but Springer is now tied for third all-time in playoff home runs. Toronto’s strategy of paying for veteran "winners" finally paid the dividend they wanted.
- The Raleigh Contract: Cal Raleigh's value is at an all-time high. After a 60-homer season and a Game 7 blast, his upcoming negotiations will dictate Seattle's entire financial flexibility for 2026 and 2027.
The rivalry between these two cities has always been weirdly intense—partially because of the "invade T-Mobile Park" thing Jays fans do every summer. But after 2025, it’s personal. Next time they meet, don't expect a friendly handshake.
For those tracking the 2026 season, keep an eye on the World Baseball Classic rosters. Many of the protagonists from this Game 7, including Raleigh and Speier, are already committing to Team USA, looking for a different kind of redemption.