Blue Jays sink Mariners to reach World Series

TORONTO: George Springer blasted a three-run home run to end the Toronto Blue Jays’ 32-year wait to return to the World Series on Monday, crushing the Seattle Mariners’ dreams of a first-ever appearance in Major League Baseball’s championship finale.

Springer’s seventh-inning 381-foot rocket into left field propelled the Blue Jays to a 4-3 Game 7 victory after the Mariners had taken a 3-1 lead at Toronto’s Rogers Center.

The Blue Jays will now face the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-seven battle for the Fall Classic, with Game 1 set for Toronto on Friday.

It will be the Blue Jays first appearance in the World Series since the Canadian franchise won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993.

“I’m just so happy for our team, our city, our country,” an elated Springer told Fox Sports television following the win. “This is such an unbelievable moment.”

Springer had been forced to exit Game 5 in Seattle last week after being hit on the kneecap but said he had fought through the pain barrier to help Toronto clinch victory in Monday’s decider.

“It doesn’t matter,” Springer said of his sore knee. “I owe it to these fans, this city and this country to give them my all. So I’ll take it.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider saluted Springer’s uncanny knack of rising to the moment when called upon. Springer has now scored 23 post-season home runs, the third most in history behind Manny Ramirez (29) and Jose Altuve (27).

‘Canada’s team’

“There’s probably not another person on planet Earth that I want up in that moment other than George Springer with his October magic,” Schneider said.

The win also completed a remarkable turnaround for the Blue Jays, who had stumbled into a 0-2 hole after dropping the first two