A loud scream echoed through the clubhouse.
On Monday night, after the Mariners suffered a frustrating Game 7 defeat to the Blue Jays, pitcher Brian Wu was conducting an interview when he heard commotion nearby.
Witnesses confirmed that it was Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners’ standout center fielder, who was expressing his disappointment following the 4-3 loss that ended their season.
Rodriguez, along with slugger Cal Lowry in the on-deck circle, struck out against Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman on what could have been a four-ball pitch, marking the game’s final out. But, honestly, the Mariners would not have been in this position without Rodriguez’s impressive performance.
The 24-year-old, who hails from the Dominican Republic, kicked off the game with a double and launched a home run in the third inning, putting Seattle ahead 2-1.
“As a kid in Loma de Cabrera, I never imagined I would reach this level in baseball,” Rodriguez remarked after the game. “Hitting a home run in Game 7, in a sport I’ve loved since childhood, was truly special.”
Lowry’s homer in the fifth inning extended the lead to 3-1, but the Blue Jays rallied in the seventh.
They quickly got two outs against Wu, then moved runners to second and third with a sac bunt. Following this, Eduardo Buzzard, who replaced Wu, hit a three-run homer off George Springer, giving Toronto the lead they would not relinquish.
“I don’t want to call it failure, but it feels like failure,” Lowry commented. “We aimed to reach the World Series and win it; that’s our goal, our standard.”
The Mariners started strong, taking the first two games and holding a 3-2 lead, but their hopes crumbled in the heartbreaking finale after just seven outs in Game 7.
Now, the Blue Jays will face off against the much-anticipated Dodgers in the World Series, starting Friday night in Toronto.
