TORONTO — Third baseman Ernie Clement’s eyes welled up as he spoke to reporters on one finish of the clubhouse whereas tears flowed down the left aspect of pitcher Max Scherzer’s face on the opposite aspect of the room. In the meantime, nearer Jeff Hoffman’s voice wavered and cracked as he accepted blame for the Toronto Blue Jays’ devastating, extra-innings defeat in Saturday’s Sport 7 of the World Sequence towards the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The postgame feelings of the staff have been uncooked and unfiltered.
“It sucks,” Hoffman stated after the 5-4 loss. “Supposed to finish otherwise. Was only one pitch. I price all people right here a World Sequence ring. It feels fairly s—ty.”
Hoffman was two outs from incomes the save, which might have despatched a complete nation into celebration. As an alternative, Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas took him deep on a 3-2 slider, tying the rating. Two innings later, Dodgers catcher Will Smith did the identical to starter-turned-reliever Shane Bieber, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night time and the ultimate margin of victory.
“Hung a slider to a terrific man who hits sliders effectively,” Bieber stated. “He was searching for it. I did not execute. This one stings. It will sting for some time. This sport isn’t for the faint of coronary heart.”
Scherzer stated Saturday’s loss was all of the extra heartbreaking due to the camaraderie throughout the staff.
“I am 41 years previous and I by no means thought I may love baseball this a lot,” Scherzer stated whereas wiping away tears. “My love for the sport was so sturdy due to their love for the sport.
“That loss is so powerful since you’re so near all people. This staff had that closeness, had that camaraderie. We had that zeal not just for the sport however for one another.”
Scherzer, 41, pitched 4⅓ innings in Sport 7, giving up only one run on 4 hits earlier than leaving to a standing ovation. He vowed that he hadn’t thrown his final pitch within the large leagues however stated he wasn’t in the fitting frame of mind to broaden on his future plans.
Scherzer departed the sport with a 3-1 lead, due to a Bo Bichette three-run homer within the third. Like Scherzer, Bichette is a free agent however afterward maintained his want to remain in Toronto.
“I wish to be right here, however I simply misplaced a Sport 7,” Bichette stated, waving off any additional questions on his future. “I hit that homer, however the sport wasn’t over at that time.”
The Jays saved their lead all the best way till the ninth, when Hoffman gave it as much as Rojas. The group fell silent, hoping the underside of the inning would produce a successful play. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s blast to middle area gave them a second of hope, however even the Jays star knew it wasn’t going out.
“Those that know me know I stand at house plate and watch them exit,” Guerrero stated by the staff interpreter. “I knew it wasn’t going anyplace.”
After it was throughout, Guerrero went to every locker to ship a message to his teammates.
“Informed them how happy with the job that they did,” he stated. “I am unable to be any prouder of my teammates and all of the issues we achieved this yr.”
It was the identical message supervisor John Schneider delivered in what he described as his first staff assembly all season. It got here after their hardest defeat.
“I stated thanks,” Schneider stated. “I stated thanks most likely about 10 instances. And that was the principle message.”
Maybe most emotional was Clement. He set a document for many hits in a single postseason with 30, although yet another — within the ninth inning with the bases loaded — would have gained the collection. As an alternative, he was robbed on the wall by Dodgers middle fielder Andy Pages.
Clement stated he spent an hour after the sport crying and hugging his teammates.
“We gave it the whole lot we had,” Clement stated. “Whenever you fall brief however you may say you left all of it on the market, there’s one thing to be happy with there.
“I’d go to struggle with Jeff Hoffman day by day of the week. I would like him on the mound. I would like Bieber on the mound. Ninety-nine instances out of 100 these guys get the job achieved. Clearly, it simply wasn’t our night time.”
However it was their season, a minimum of till the very finish. After ending in final place in 2024, the Blue Jays gained the AL East and reached Sport 7 of the World Sequence. Though it wasn’t their desired end, Blue Jays gamers stated the journey was significant.
“Everybody in right here is fairly devastated,” pitcher Kevin Gausman stated. “We’re a extremely good staff. It took them taking part in good and having a terrific final couple innings to beat us and that is what occurred.”
Stated Bieber: “This group is in contrast to every other I’ve ever been part of. That is a sentiment all of us sort of really feel personally.”