I couldn’t help but shake my head in disbelief at Rogers Centre last night. Twenty-two years covering Toronto sports, and I’ve rarely seen anything quite like it.
The Blue Jays’ 5-4 walk-off victory over the Los Angeles Angels unfolded like a screenplay nobody would believe – complete with a dramatic ninth-inning bunt that sent the stadium into absolute pandemonium.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play and make something happen,” Addison Barger told me in the jubilant clubhouse afterward, still wearing remnants of the celebratory Gatorade shower. “Sometimes the craziest plays win ballgames.”
Indeed. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Blue Jays rookie Steward Berroa laid down what appeared to be a routine sacrifice bunt. What followed was anything but routine.
Angels reliever Luis García fielded the ball cleanly but hesitated momentarily before throwing to first base. His throw sailed wide, allowing both Will Wagner and Spencer Horwitz to score, instantly transforming a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 victory.
“That’s baseball for you,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said, running his hand through his hair as if still processing what he’d witnessed. “Sometimes you need a little chaos to go your way.”
The Rogers Centre crowd of 31,422 – which had been relatively subdued for much of the game – erupted in a deafening roar as players poured from the dugout to mob Berroa near first base.
It marked Toronto’s fourth walk-off win this season and offered a brief but welcomed respite during what has otherwise been a challenging campaign. The victory improved the Blue Jays’ record to 66-75, though they remain distant in the playoff race.
For the Angels, it was their fifth straight loss, dropping them to 59-82. The error by García was particularly painful given their solid performance through eight innings.
“We did enough to win that game,” Angels interim manager Benji Gil remarked afterward. “One play, one moment shouldn’t define your season, but sometimes it feels that way.”
Lost somewhat in the dramatic finish was a quality start from Toronto’s José Berríos, who allowed three runs over six innings while striking out seven. The bullpen combination of Génesis Cabrera, Chad Green, and Trevor Richards kept the game within reach.
The Angels had built their lead on the strength of Mickey Moniak’s two-run homer in the third inning and Taylor Ward’s RBI double in the fifth. The Blue Jays countered with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 27th home run of the season and a Daulton Varsho RBI single.
According to data from Baseball Savant, the bunt that ended the game had just a 15% chance of resulting in a hit under normal circumstances. But baseball, as Toronto fans well know, rarely follows statistical probability.
“That’s why we play all nine innings,” veteran Kevin Kiermaier mentioned as I caught him heading toward the team bus. “This game has a way of surprising you when you least expect it.”
For a team and fanbase that has weathered disappointment this season, last night’s improbable finish provided a moment of pure, unbridled joy – the kind that reminds us why we fall in love with sports in the first place.
As I packed up my notes and prepared to file this story, I glanced back at the now-empty diamond. Baseball’s beauty sometimes lies in its unpredictability – a game of inches, timing, and occasionally, perfectly imperfect bunts.
The Blue Jays and Angels conclude their three-game series Wednesday afternoon, with Toronto looking to complete the sweep before heading out on a challenging road trip to Boston and New York.
Whatever the outcome, they’ll carry with them the memory of a ninth-inning that defied explanation – and reminded everyone at Rogers Centre that in baseball, as in life, anything remains possible until the final out.
