The Toronto Blue Jays had a golden opportunity to break their three-decades-long World Series drought as they entered Game 6 of the 2025 World Series up 3-2 against the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers. With momentum on their side after winning two consecutive games on the road, the Blue Jays returned home to Rogers Centre, ready to close out what has been an exceptional series in front of their passionate home crowd.
Unfortunately, the Blue Jays could not get the job done on Friday night. They squandered a major chance to rewrite history and echo memories of their last championship run in 1993. Toronto fell 3-1 to the Dodgers in Game 6, sending the World Series to a decisive Game 7.
Losing a game of this magnitude can be demoralizing, but Toronto has shown all season long how resilient they are as a unit. Playing the blame game is futile—assigning fault to individuals for such a crucial loss’s outcome is misguided. Baseball, perhaps more than any other major North American sport, is the ultimate team game. However, certain moments and plays from individuals will linger painfully, especially on a stage as grand as Game 6.
### Addison Barger: From Hero to Zero
The ninth inning began with a spark of hope for the Blue Jays. Trailing 3-1, the Dodgers sent out Roki Sasaki for another inning of work. Despite having good stuff throughout the postseason, Sasaki hit Alejandro Kirk with an 0-2 pitch, putting the game-tying run on base with no outs.
Addison Barger—who has been a powerhouse in the Blue Jays lineup all postseason long—then faced Sasaki in a pivotal at-bat. After a fierce battle, the fans at Rogers Centre saw Barger launch a high fastball deep into left field, seemingly a home run that would bring Toronto within one run.
But heartbreak followed. Dodgers outfielder Justin Dean positioned himself perfectly, and Barger’s hit ricocheted directly off the bottom of the outfield wall padding. The ball became stuck, leading to a ground-rule double and leaving pinch-runner Myles Straw stranded at third and Barger at second.
At this point, the Dodgers scrambled to contain the threat. Manager Dave Roberts relieved Sasaki and brought in Tyler Glasnow, typically a starter, for relief duties aimed at shutting down the Blue Jays’ rally.
Glasnow promptly induced a first-pitch pop-up from Ernie Clement, setting the stage for the critical at-bat against Andres Gimenez. Glasnow forced Gimenez into a weak fly ball, which should have ended the inning without incident. However, Barger made a costly baserunning mistake—he strayed too far off second base.
Dodgers left fielder Kike Hernandez delivered a perfect throw to Miguel Rojas at second base, catching Barger off guard and completing a soul-crushing double play that ended Toronto’s hopes of winning Game 6.
### What Went Wrong with Barger’s Basestealing?
It’s unclear what Barger was thinking. Did he believe the ball would drop, prompting him to take a bigger lead in hopes of scoring the winning run? Even if the ball had fallen in, Barger would have advanced to third regardless, so his aggressive baserunning was unnecessary—especially with George Springer on deck.
Springer, a veteran outfielder and consistent postseason performer, has been a major thorn in the Dodgers’ side for years. He even drove in Toronto’s lone run that game. Barger’s reckless baserunning is all the more heartbreaking given Springer’s presence poised to bat next.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time a baserunning blunder has cost the Blue Jays a critical World Series game. Should Toronto stumble in Game 7, Barger’s mistake in Game 6 may haunt him for years to come—a tough pill to swallow considering his incredible postseason performance, highlighted by an impressive 1.009 OPS in 56 at-bats.
### Kevin Gausman’s Tough Luck: Two World Series Losses Despite Solid Starts
Kevin Gausman’s outings in the World Series deserve recognition—he has pitched well, despite the frustrating lack of offensive support the Blue Jays have provided him.
In both Games 2 and 6, Gausman’s solid performances were overshadowed by the team’s inability to produce runs. Facing off against the dominant Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound opposite him, Gausman needed perfection to keep his team in contention.
In Game 6, Gausman ran into trouble in the third inning and couldn’t escape the jam. The Dodgers capitalized, and unfortunately, the Blue Jays were unable to mount a rally against Yamamoto’s pitching.
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As the series heads to a dramatic Game 7, the Blue Jays will look to regroup and capitalize on their talent and resilience. Despite the heartbreak in Game 6, one thing remains clear: this team is hungry, talented, and ready to fight for a championship that has eluded them for over 30 years.
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