Chris Bassitt Shines as Blue Jays Win ALCS and Head to World Series

TORONTO — Chris Bassitt helped push the Toronto Blue Jays into the World Series for the first time in 32 years, celebrating their dramatic 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

Bassitt entered the game from the bullpen in the eighth inning, facing a pivotal moment in the postseason. After George Springer hit a three-run homer to give Toronto its first lead of the night, the veteran pitcher needed to preserve that advantage to keep the Blue Jays’ championship hopes alive.

“I’m just happy I didn’t blow it,” Bassitt said, laughing through his drenched T-shirt from post-game celebrations. “They put a lot of damn pressure on me.”

In just his second postseason appearance, Bassitt impressively recorded a 1-2-3 inning, striking out Eugenio Suarez and getting J.P. Crawford to ground out. Notably, Bassitt’s relief appearance came after he had not pitched since mid-September due to back inflammation.

“That takes really big balls, honestly,” said teammate Kevin Gausman. “He hadn’t pitched in a while, and the place was rockin’.”

The Blue Jays were down 3-1 before Springer’s sudden turn of events in the seventh inning, where he jumped on a pitch from reliever Eduard Bazardo to turn the game around. With this victory, the Blue Jays not only secured a spot in the World Series but also made history by winning their first Game 7 in franchise history.

“As you saw, it was a little hard for me to find the zone,” Gausman admitted, mentioning his own relief outing that included some struggles but ultimately left the Blue Jays in the same position.

After Bassitt’s strong showing, closer Jeff Hoffman struck out the side to seal the victory. Celebrations erupted at Rogers Centre as players poured beer on one another, basking in the excitement of their achievement.

“We love this team, we love this clubhouse, we love this country,” Bassitt said joyously, echoing the emotional weight of the moment. The Blue Jays will now advance to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.