Jays feel sting of defeat as Game 7 of World Series slips away

Toronto – third baseman ernie clementTears streamed down the left side of the pitcher’s field as he spoke to reporters at one end of the clubhouse. max shazer‘s face is on the other side of the room. Meanwhile, closer Jeff HoffmanHis voice faltered and broke as he accepted blame for it toronto blue jays‘Disastrous, extra-inning loss in Game 7 of the World Series los angeles dodgers on Saturday night.

The team’s emotions after the game were raw and unfiltered.

“It sucks,” Hoffman said after the 5-4 loss. “It’s supposed to end differently. It was just one pitch. I beat everybody out here to a World Series ring. It feels pretty weird.”

Hoffman was out twice to earn saves, which would have caused the entire nation to erupt in celebration. Instead, the Dodgers second baseman miguel rojas He took it to a 3-2 slider, tying the score. After two innings, the Dodgers’ catcher Will Smith Did the same with the starter-turned-reliever. shane bieberThat gave the Dodgers their first lead of the night and the final margin of victory.

“Hang a slider to a great guy who hits sliders well,” Bieber said. “He was looking for it. I didn’t commit it. It stings. It’s going to sting for a while. This game is not for the faint of heart.”

Scherzer said Saturday’s loss was even more heartbreaking because of the camaraderie within the team.

“I’m 41 years old and I never thought I could love baseball this much,” Scherzer said, wiping away tears. “It was because of his love for the game that my love for the game was so strong.

“That loss is very tough because you’re so close with everybody. This team had that closeness, that camaraderie. We had that passion not only for the game but for each other.”

Scherzer, 41, pitched 4⅓ innings in Game 7, allowing only one run on four hits before being given a standing ovation. He swore that he had not pitched his last inning in the big leagues, but said he was not in the right mental state to expand on his future plans.

Scherzer left the game with a 3-1 lead. bo bichet Three-run homer in the third. Like Scherzer, Bichette is a free agent but later maintained his desire to remain in Toronto.

Bichette shrugged off any further questions about his future, saying, “I want to be here, but I just lost Game 7.” “I hit that homer, but the game wasn’t over at that point.”

The Jays held their lead until the ninth, when Hoffman gave it up to Rojas. The crowd fell silent, hoping that the end of the inning would result in a winning game. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.The blast to center field gave them a moment of hope, but the Jays star also knew it wasn’t going to pan out.

“People who know me know that I stand at home plate and watch them walk out,” Guerrero said through the team interpreter. “I knew it wasn’t going anywhere.”

After it was all over, Guerrero went to each locker to deliver a message to his teammates.

“Told them how proud they were of the work they did,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of my teammates and what we accomplished this year.”

It was the same message that manager John Schneider described in his first team meeting all season. This came after their toughest defeat yet.

“I said thank you,” Schneider said. “I probably said thank you about 10 times. And that was the main message.”

Perhaps the most emotional was Clement. He set the record for most hits in a postseason with 30, although one more – with the bases loaded in the ninth inning – could have won the series. Instead, he was mugged over the wall by the Dodgers center fielder. andy pages,

Clement said he spent an hour crying and hugging his teammates after the game.

“We gave it everything we had,” Clement said. “When you fall short but you can say you left everything out there, there’s something to be proud of.

“I would go to war with Jeff Hoffman every day of the week. I want him on the field. I want Bieber on the field. Ninety-nine times out of 100 those guys get the job done. Obviously, it wasn’t our night.”

But it was his season, at least until the end. After finishing last in 2024, the Blue Jays won the AL East and reached Game 7 of the World Series. Although it was not their desired ending, Blue Jays players said the journey was worthwhile.

“Everyone here is pretty devastated,” Pitcher kevin gosman Said. “We’re a really good team. They had to have great games and great performances in the last few innings to beat us, and that’s what happened.”

Bieber said, “This group is different from any group I’ve ever been a part of. It’s a feeling that we all feel individually.”