The Toronto Blue Jays were on the verge of the biggest Halloween treat possible but instead were suddenly dealt a horrible trick.
Down 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth with a man on first base and nobody out, Addison Barger hammered a high fastball from Roki Sasaki to the left-centre field wall that looked to be adding another chapter to the Blue Jays’ stories of comebacks this year.
As the ball missiled over the fielders and towards the wall, it — tragically for the Blue Jays — got lodged in the base of the wall. Los Angeles Dodgers centre-fielder Justin Dean had the presence of mind to immediately alert the umpires to the ball that was stuck and made no effort to make a play.
Myles Straw, who was pinch running for Alejandro Kirk after he was hit by a pitch to reach first base, had run home on the play and Barger scampered all the way home, too.
It was all for naught as the MLB rules for a “lodged ball” are an automatic ground-rule double and meant that the hitter and runners involved in the play receive an automatic two bases and no more.
The Blue Jays were still in a great position with runners at second and third and nobody out but only devastation and heartbreak followed.
Tyler Glasnow, originally expected to start Game 7, replaced Sasaki and got Ernie Clement to pop up to the infield before Andrés Giménez flied out to left field.
It should have been the second out of the inning with George Springer coming to the plate except that Barger made a horrible read on the play, didn’t seem to realize that left-fielder Kiké Hernandez was playing shallow, and so ran for third base initially. By the time he realized he needed to scurry back to second base, Hernandez had got his throw in to second base where Miguel Rojas completed the out for an inning and game-ending double-play.
The Blue Jays will look to shake off this horrifying Halloween ending and win the World Series in a do-or-die Game 7 on Saturday night.
John Schneider backs Barger
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas, forces Toronto Blue Jays’ Addison Barger out at second base to end Game 6 of baseball’s World Series, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider showed a classy bit of coaching after the game, refusing to throw Barger under the bus when asked about the game-ending play after the game.
“It’s a tough read, Kiké playing shallow and one out you’re thinking score,” Schneider said. “He made a really good play. It’s such a tweener. He made a good play, good throw. Good play by Rojas, too. Wild. Wild way to finish it, for sure.”
No one will feel worse than Barger about that play and with a World Series Game 7 to come, it was really important for Schneider and the whole team to rally around him. Barger also spoke to the media after the game and gave his take on how things played out.
“Wild,” Barger said after the game. “On the play, I was doubled up trying to be too aggressive, trying to score, trying to tie up that game if the ball drops and he had a good read on the ball and made a good play…
“I’m thinking if it does drop I can at least get to third, I don’t wanna get thrown out at third. I know he was playing shallow but if that ball does drop I wanna get to third.”
Blue Jays react to heartbreaking ending
Toronto Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk gets hit by a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in Game 6 of baseball’s World Series, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
As a stunned Rogers Centre, Toronto and Canada come to terms with what was and what could have been, the Blue Jays showed the mettle that they’ve shown all season post-game.
Springer reminded the locker room that if they were told they would be playing Game 7 of the World Series when they were at Spring Training, they would have taken it and ran with it.
Tunes were being blasted on the speakers, and to a man, everyone was pumped to have future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer pitching in Game 7.
“He’s been there, he’s done it before,” Barger said. “He’s one of the best of all time, we know he’s gonna go out there and compete and we trust that a lot.”
Schneider said he has all the confidence in the world in Scherzer and that the 41-year-old has been preparing for Game 7 since pitching in Game 3.
“I was in the tub and I was watching him walk around the training room, he looks like he’s ready to throw right now,” Straw said. “I didn’t say anything to him in there but he looks like he’s ready to go…
“He looked pissed off, he looks like he does on his start days so I love that.”
Kevin Gausman who started Game 6 and provided six terrific innings but for one pitch to Mookie Betts he’d like back, also said he’ll do what he can to be available to pitch Saturday.
“It’s Game 7, I’ll do whatever,” Gausman said. “I need to get in the weight room right now if that’s the case, get a run in and what not. I’ll go straight to the cold tub after this to be ready…
“All hands on deck tomorrow, for sure.”
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