The roar in the Rogers Centre didn’t come from the ball‑park announcer – it came from Julio Rodriguez. After a 4‑3 loss in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the 24‑year‑old outfielder broke his silence with a guttural yell that made reporters pause.
Rodriguez finished the game by striking out swinging against Toronto’s closer Jeff Hoffman on a pitch that would have been a ball four. He had already been the engine of the Mariners’ offense, driving in the first run with a double and blasting a homer in the third to give Seattle a 2‑1 lead.
“Back when I was a kid in Loma de Cabrera, I never imagined I’d get this far,” he told Fox 13 after the game. “Hitting a home run in Game 7, in the sport I love, felt special.”
The Mariners’ rally started early. Cal Raleigh’s blast in the fifth pushed Seattle ahead 3‑1. But Toronto stormed back in the seventh. Two runners reached base, a sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third, and then a three‑run homer by George Springer – with Eddie Bazardo in the on‑deck circle – sealed the win for the Blue Jays.
“It’s a failure,” Raleigh admitted. “We set the bar for a World Series and a World Series win. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to.”
Seattle had taken the first two games of the ALCS, moved ahead 3‑2, and were just one out from a World‑Series berth. Instead, the season ended in heartbreak.
Toronto now steps into the World Series against the Dodgers, who are favored to win the championship. The 2025 World‑Series matchup will begin on Friday night in Toronto.
Source: New York Post
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