An exhilarating American League Championship Collection that went all the best way to Sport 7 concluded with a bang on Monday night time.
Within the backside of the seventh, the Seattle Mariners watched their 3-1 lead and their hopes of lastly successful the pennant – they’re the one workforce to by no means attain the World Collection – vanish. Blue Jays star George Springer’s go-ahead three-run homer, off former Purple Sox reliever Eduard Bazardo, gave Toronto a 4-3 lead and their first pennant since 1993.
With that, the stage is ready for a Blue Jays-Dodgers Fall Basic, and the final likelihood to observe Main League Baseball in 2025.
A number of erstwhile Purple Sox have already been eradicated from the postseason: Kyle Schwarber and Matt Strahm (Phillies); Quinn Priester and Danny Jansen (Brewers); Justin Turner, Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller (Cubs); Xander Bogaerts, Nick Pivetta and Jose Iglesias (Padres). Longtime Boston supervisor Terry Francona’s Cincinnati Reds have been swept by the Dodgers within the Wild Card sequence.
The 121st World Collection begins Friday at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Rosters have but to be introduced, however listed here are 5 gamers on the Dodgers’ and Blue Jays’ 40-man rosters with ties to the Purple Sox.
Mookie Betts (Dodgers)
Keep in mind him? Boston’s greatest commerce remorse since Babe Ruth will play within the World Collection for the third time because the Purple Sox despatched him to the Dodgers in February 2020.
Betts had a down yr offensively, solely batting .258 with a .732 OPS in 150 regular-season video games, a far cry from the lifetime .294 common and .897 OPS with which he entered this yr.
But none of that issues come October, when the stats are solely their very own. In 10 postseason video games, Betts is 12 for 41 (.293) with 4 doubles, a triple, two runs, six batted in, 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
Betts additionally brings Gold Glove-caliber protection to the Dodgers. He has six profession Gold Gloves for his outfield work, together with 4 with the Purple Sox, and is a finalist this yr for the NL shortstop accolade.
The Dodgers have made the postseason 13 years working. In the event that they win their second consecutive World Collection, Betts may have 4 rings. In response to MLB.com’s Sonja Chen, Betts could be the one lively participant with so many rings and simply the nineteenth main leaguer with not less than 4 championships within the Divisional Period (since 1969). Betts could be the third former Purple Sox on the checklist, becoming a member of left-hander Javier López and right-hander Mike Timlin.
Even when the Blue Jays can topple the mighty Dodgers, Betts may have loads of time to deliver one other championship to Los Angeles; his 12-year, $265 million extension goes by means of the tip of the 2032 season.
Kiké Hernández (Dodgers)
‘Playoff Kiké’ is a really actual phenomenon, as Purple Sox followers might keep in mind from their inconceivable October ‘21 journey, when he went 20 for 49 (.408) with 4 doubles, a triple, 5 house runs, 9 runs and 9 RBI in 11 playoff video games. His walk-off sacrifice fly in Sport 4 of the ALDS despatched Boston to the ALCS and the Rays house to Tampa Bay.
The super-utility participant enters this yr’s Fall Basic with 96 profession postseason video games beneath his belt, and a .282 common and .863 OPS in them. In 10 video games this October, he’s 11 for 36 (.306) with 4 doubles, seven runs and 4 batted in.
Michael Kopech (Dodgers)
Kopech by no means pitched for the Purple Sox, however he was their first-round choose in 2014 and one of many high prospects they despatched to the Chicago White Sox within the December ‘16 Chris Sale commerce. Kopech will not be on the Dodgers’ lively roster.
Los Angeles acquired Kopech from Chicago throughout the ‘24 season. He had a 4.74 ERA over 43 White Sox appearances on the time of the commerce, then pitched to a 1.13 ERA over 24 regular-season outings for the Dodgers. He made 10 appearances, together with eight scoreless, throughout the ‘24 postseason, and yielded three earned runs on 5 hits, walked seven and struck out 10 over 9.0 innings. The Dodgers went 9-1 in these video games.
Arm irritation and surgical procedure to restore a torn meniscus in his proper knee restricted Kopech to 14 regular-season video games for LA this yr. He posted a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings, with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts, and final pitched on Sept. 18. The Dodgers returned him to the injured checklist the next day, with proper knee irritation.
Tyler Heineman (Blue Jays)
Heineman, a 34-year-old catcher, was on the Blue Jays’ ALCS roster, however has solely appeared in a single postseason contest, Sport 2 of the ALCS, with zero plate appearances up to now.
The Purple Sox acquired Heineman from the New York Mets in February ‘24, however he spent a lot of the season in Triple-A Worcester and solely appeared in two big-league video games. The Blue Jays scooped him up on waivers after the Purple Sox designated him for project in September of final yr.
Heineman performed 61 regular-season video games, one shy of his career-high in ‘22, for Toronto this yr. He batted .289, a private finest, with a .777 OPS and 43 hits, together with eight doubles, a triple and three house runs.
Bo Bichette (Blue Jays)
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette by no means performed for the Purple Sox, however his father did.
Dante Bichette completed his 14-year profession in Boston after being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in 2000. The four-time All-Star’s closing season within the massive leagues was with the ‘01 Purple Sox.
The youthful Bichette has but to look in a postseason sport, and has not performed for six weeks as a consequence of a left knee damage. But after Toronto’s ALCS win, he instructed reporters within the clubhouse, “I’ll be prepared.”
