The Toronto Blue Jays found themselves in a tough spot heading to Seattle. Down 0-2 in the series after getting beaten down by the Mariners bats at the Rogers Centre, the Jays needed some momentum in their corner if they wanted to stay alive in the ALCS.

The Jays won the first two games at T-Mobile Park to keep the series interesting, but the Mariners were able to claw their way back in Game 5 to take the 3-2 advantage in the ALCS.

What also transpired in that game was a Bryan Woo fastball connecting with George Springer’s knee in the top of the seventh inning. An inside pitch that caught too much run, it wasn’t meant to hit Springer on purpose, but the damage was done when the offering from Woo connected with the Jays batter and he eventually had to leave the game after trying to stay in after hobbling down to first base.

Mariners fans are not keen on Springer, dating back to his Astros days in the AL West. He was part of the 2017 squad that was exposed for their sign stealing scandal, orchestrated by then bench coach Alex Cora and veteran Carlos Beltran, but the Astros would go on to win the World Series that year, and Seattle fans remember all to well which team he was on when that all went down.

When Woo connected with Springer’s knee, the cheers started to ring out from the Mariners faithful. It wasn’t every fan in on the action, but enough that anybody watching at home could hear the applause. It was loud enough that Jays manager John Schnieder commented on it postgame and Ernie Clement had some choice words for the Seattle fanbase.

Fast forward to Game 7, and it was Springer who got the final say on the matter.

With runners on second and third in the top of the seventh inning, Springer stepped up to the plate with Eduard Bazardo coming in from the Mariners bullpen, who had just lifted Woo from the contest. The Jays were down 3-1 at the time and with just one out, a poke to the outfield grass was likely going to at least tie the game.

After taking an inside sinker that was close to his knees (again), Springer stepped back into the box and watched Bazardo throw another sinker, but this time right down the heart of the plate. With one swing of the bat, the Conneticut product connected on the offering, sending it 381 feet over the left field wall for a three-run shot that gave Toronto the lead late in the ball game. That home run would be all the Jays needed to secure a World Series berth, as Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman were able to shut down the eighth and ninth innings, respectively.

From getting clipped in the knee, to telling Schneider he was good to go from Game 6 (and eventually Game 7), George Springer went from being the villian in Seattle to the hero in Toronto, and is one of the reasons the Blue Jays will get a chance to compete for their third World Series title later this week.

It turns out that Springer gets the last cheer after all, as the Mariners will enter the 2026 season continuting to look for their first World Series berth in franchise history.