With a trip to the World Series hanging in the balance, the Blue Jays needed two former Colorado arms to get the job done.
Grandview High School alum Kevin Gausman, one of the best starters in baseball over the last half-decade, pitched a scoreless seventh inning that preceded George Springer’s ALCS-winning home run in the bottom of the frame. And former Rockies pitcher Jeff Hoffman came on two innings later to shut the door, becoming only the second hurler ever to face and strike out all three batters in the last inning of a Game 7.
An emotional Hoffman let out a scream and raised his arms to the sky after getting Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez to swing and miss at a 3-2 slider for the game’s final out.