The Rogers Centre crowd had barely settled into their seats when the Toronto Blue Jays positioned themselves for a potential late-inning rally. Addison Barger’s ground-rule double to left-center in the ninth inning had loaded the bases with no outs, energizing fans and giving Toronto a real shot to tie Game 6 of the World Series.
Myles Straw, who had replaced catcher Alejandro Kirk after being hit by a pitch, advanced to third base, putting Toronto in a strong position. With George Springer on deck, the Blue Jays’ win expectancy surged dramatically, signaling a possible dramatic comeback on the horizon.
Yet, the moment slipped away in an instant. Attempting to score on a liner by Andres Gimenez, Barger misread the ball, believing it would drop in for a shallow single. Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Enrique Hernandez tracked the play, secured the catch, and Barger, caught too far off second base, was doubled off—ending the game and forcing a decisive Game 7.
Barger owns up to error
“I was pretty surprised he got to it,” Barger admitted after the game, according to ESPN. “Off the bat, I thought it was going to go over the shortstop’s head. I didn’t think it was going to travel that far. It was kind of a bad read.”
The play followed Barger’s earlier ground-rule double in the inning, when the ball lodged at the base of the left-center wall. Hernandez and Dodgers center fielder Justin Dean alerted the umpires, and John Tumpane ruled it a dead-ball double, sending Barger back to second while Straw advanced to third.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts then called on Tyler Glasnow to face Gimenez, creating a high-pressure matchup. Gimenez hit a liner with a .710 expected batting average, but Hernandez’s catch ended the threat. Barger’s misjudgment ultimately sealed Toronto’s fate in Game 6.
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Blue Jays prepare for Game 7
Toronto now turns its attention to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Saturday. Max Scherzer is slated to start for the Blue Jays, while the Dodgers are expected to counter with Shohei Ohtani in an opener role. Every pitch and swing will carry the weight of history as Toronto aims to secure its first World Series title since 1993.