{"id":108611,"date":"2025-10-20T23:55:46","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T03:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=108611"},"modified":"2025-10-20T23:55:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T03:55:46","slug":"blue-jays-win-al-pennant-will-meet-dodgers-world-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/10\/20\/blue-jays-win-al-pennant-will-meet-dodgers-world-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Paths Converge: Dodgers, Blue Jays Set for World Series Battle"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">The Toronto Blue Jays came back from down 0-2, then down 3-2 to win the American League pennant in seven games, thanks to some late-inning heroics.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_108615\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-108615\" style=\"width: 947px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-108615\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27379003_168400885_lowres-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"947\" height=\"625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27379003_168400885_lowres-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27379003_168400885_lowres-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27379003_168400885_lowres-2048x1349.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 947px) 100vw, 947px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-108615\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) holds up the William Harridge Trophy and celebrates with teammates after winning game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<h2 data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">Blue Jays Win American League Pennant with Thrilling Game 7 Victory<\/h2>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">The Seattle Mariners looked like they were going to the World Series for the first time in franchise history with a two-run lead entering the seventh inning with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/w\/woobr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan Woo<\/a> on the mound for Seattle. After a leadoff walk, a single, and a sacrifice bunt, the Mariners then went to Eduardo Bazardo to face the top of the lineup.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">It was then that known clutch playoff riser <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/springe01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">George Springer<\/a> came to the plate for the biggest moment of Toronto&#8217;s season, and he delivered his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=bautijo02,bautijo01&amp;search=Jos\u00e9+Bautista&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Bautista<\/a> moment. Springer powered a go-ahead three-run home run, flipping the script on the Mariners. His series-winning Springer Dinger was 99.1 MPH off the bat and traveled 381 feet into the left field seats.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">GEORGE SPRINGER<br \/>\nTHREE-RUN SHOT<br \/>\nBLUE JAYS LEAD ? <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Qh7qwqYpRx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/Qh7qwqYpRx<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MLB (@MLB) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLB\/status\/1980461867098337447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">This game will certainly bring out the &#8220;what if&#8221; questions, and one is warranted from the Mariners&#8217; side \u2014 why did manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/managers\/wilsoda01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dan Wilson<\/a> not go to his well-rested closer, Andres Mu\u00f1oz, to get the biggest outs of the game with the tying runs in scoring position? Mu\u00f1oz did come on, just for the eighth inning after losing the lead, and pitched a scoreless inning around some traffic.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">For the Blue Jays, they went from last place in the AL East in 2024 to AL champs in 2025, and a lot of the credit goes to manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/managers\/schnejo99.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Schneider<\/a>, who has had this team rallying with him all season. Schneider has proved he is a great leader of men and has a good feel for in-game managing this series. This is also Toronto&#8217;s first pennant since its 1993 World Series championship.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=hoffmje02,hoffma003jef&amp;search=Jeff+Hoffman&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeff Hoffman<\/a>, who has had his fair share of struggles this season, came on to shut the door, striking out the side, all winging to clinch the pennant. It was Hoffman&#8217;s second save of the postseason.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<h3 data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">The Fall Classic<\/h3>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">The stage for the 2025 World Series is officially set \u2014 the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Toronto Blue Jays, beginning Friday, October 24th at Rogers Centre. It\u2019s a matchup rich with storylines, talent, and contrasting styles of play that should make for a compelling Fall Classic.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">On one side, the Dodgers enter as the National League powerhouse, riding the dominant arms of their pitching staff, which has been the best in baseball throughout this postseason. Their starters have silenced opposing lineups with elite command and strikeout efficiency, while the bullpen has been nearly unhittable in the late innings. At the heart of it all is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shohei Ohtani<\/a>, whose two-way excellence has defined Los Angeles\u2019 run \u2014 his power at the plate and command on the mound could be the ultimate difference-maker after they earned him <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/10\/17\/dodgers-sweep-brewers-win-second-straight-nl-pennant\/\" target=\"_self\">NLCS MVP<\/a> honors.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">Meanwhile, the Blue Jays arrive as one of the most balanced and resilient teams in baseball. Toronto\u2019s lineup thrives on contact and situational hitting, led by stars like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/guerrvl02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/varshda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-10-20_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daulton Varsho<\/a>, who have anchored an offense built around pressure and consistency rather than raw power. The Jays\u2019 pitching staff \u2014 steady, deep, and battle-tested \u2014 will face its toughest challenge yet trying to neutralize a Dodgers offense that can strike from any spot in the order.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">With the series opening in Toronto, the energy at Rogers Centre will be electric. The battle between Ohtani\u2019s power and the Blue Jays\u2019 disciplined approach at the plate \u2014 alongside a clash between two elite pitching staffs \u2014 sets the stage for what could be one of the most entertaining and tightly contested World Series matchups in recent memory.<\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\"><\/div>\n<div data-block-type=\"BLOCK_TYPE_PARAGRAPH\">Main Photo Credit: \u00a9 Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Toronto Blue Jays came back from down 0-2, then down 3-2 to win the American League pennant in seven games, thanks to some late-inning heroics. Blue Jays Win American League Pennant with Thrilling Game 7 Victory The Seattle Mariners looked like they were going to the World Series for the first time in franchise [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5663,"featured_media":108614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"1760918400","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,33,1071,35,17],"tags":[28894,5319,3315,548,4352,5796,2178,640],"class_list":["post-108611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bluejays","category-dodgers","category-mlb","category-news","category-mariners","tag-bryan-woo","tag-dan-wilson","tag-daulton-varsho","tag-george-springer","tag-jeff-hoffman","tag-john-schneider","tag-shohei-ohtani","tag-vladimir-guerrero-jr"],"modified_by":"Lewis Masella, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108611"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108616,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108611\/revisions\/108616"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108611"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}