Yes, the Jays came up short — but what a ride

Even after a couple days to process, it's still hard to believe the Toronto Blue Jays did not win this World Series.

Looking like the better team for the bulk of the series, the Jays had several chances this weekend to finish off the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers and deliver their long-suffering fans their first championship in 32 years. But, somehow, those chances all slipped away.

Going back to the ninth inning of Game 6 on Friday night, with Toronto trailing 3-1, the Jays caught a bad break when Addison Barger's drive to the left-centre-field gap get lodged under the wall, leading to a ground-rule double that sent pinch runner Myles Straw back to third and held Barger on second. Still, Toronto had the tying runs on second and third with none out. But Ernie Clement popped up weakly to first, leading to the play that Jays fans will be lamenting for a while: Barger getting picked off second to end the game when a charging Enrique Hernandez caught Andres Gimenez' liner to shallow left.

That certainly put a damper on Halloween. And more horrors were in store in Game 7 on Saturday night.

On the strength of Bo Bichette's majestic 442-foot, three-run homer in the third off Shohei Ohtani, Toronto took a 4-2 lead into the eighth — six outs away from winning it all. But, after rookie sensation Trey Yesavage got Mookie Betts to ground out, Max Muncy smashed one high into the right-field stands to cut Toronto's lead to one.

In the ninth, closer Jeff Hoffman struck out the first batter to put the Jays just two outs away from winning it all. But No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas — Miguel %@$# Rojas! — made like a modern-day Bucky Dent and hit one out to left to tie the game.

Still, the Jays nearly won it twice in the bottom of the