TORONTO — Surefire Hall of Famer Max Scherzer pulled Shane Bieber aside the night before Game 7 of the American League Championship Series to give him one simple piece of advice:
“Believe in everybody, because everybody believes in you.”
Bieber scattered seven hits over 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, but striking out five, as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied past the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday to advance to the World Series.
Relievers Louis Varland and Seranthony Dominguez followed Bieber to the mound but, in an unusual move, starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt came out of the bullpen for an inning each before closer Jeff Hoffman got the game’s final three outs.
“I’m grateful for each and every opportunity to go out there and take the ball for this club and these guys. Like, I’m so happy,” said Bieber as teammates, including Scherzer, poured beer over him in Toronto’s clubhouse. “I just knew every out was going to be a grind and you’d be able to pass the baton.
“What a statement for Gausman and Bassitt to come out like they did. I’m not surprised that they’re able to get the job done. Everybody believes in each other, man, and that’s what’s special about this group.”
Bieber started the season with the Cleveland Guardians but, thanks to Tommy John surgery in April 2024, he had not pitched a single inning this year. The Cy Young Award winner as the American League’s best pitcher in 2020 was traded to Toronto on July 31 for pitching prospect Khal Stephen.
The two-time all-star hadn’t completely recovered from the operation on his ulnar collateral ligament when he joined the Blue Jays, so he didn’t know what to expect.
“God’s honest truth, I was just focused on trying to get back to pitching in the Major Leagues so I could help this group and this team, and try and win games,” said Bieber, who had seven starts for Toronto in the regular season, finishing with a 4-2 record, a 3.57 earned-run average and 37 strikeouts. “Next thing you know, I find myself pitching game seven of the ALCS.
“It’s a surreal feeling and I’m grateful.”
Scherzer is also a relative newcomer to Toronto. The 41-year-old signed a one-year deal worth US$15.5 million to join the Blue Jays as a free agent.
“When I started playing with this team, and I thought this team came together, I had to dream,” said Scherzer. “I started dreaming with these guys, and everybody started dreaming.
“Here it is, the dream is real.”
Scherzer got the start for Toronto in Game 4 of the ALCS on Oct. 16, becoming the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to start a post-season game for six different teams. He said that what distinguished the Blue Jays this season was how they supported each other through the season’s ups and downs.
“We’re just a great team, the clubhouse attendants, everybody,” said Scherzer, who will appear in his fourth World Series. “It doesn’t matter what happens, we’re always going to pick each other up.
“It’s what we’ve done this whole year. This series was a microcosm of what happened all year.”
Varland allowed a run in his 1 1/3 innings of work, putting the Blue Jays behind 3-1. Dominguez then had a perfect inning before manager John Schneider called Gausman out of the bullpen. Usually a starter, Gausman issued three walks in the relief appearance but got out of the inning unscathed.
Gausman was the pitcher of record when George Springer hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to take the lead.
“Oh, it was fun. I mean, I was rocking, and as you saw, it was a little hard for me to find the zone,” said Gausman on the field at Rogers Centre, cradling the American League championship trophy in his arms. “But I made a big pitch and got a double play and made another play to get a big out.
“I was pretty fired up.”
Bassitt came on in the eighth, getting a strikeout to earn a hold before Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth for his second save of the post-season.
Schneider said in his post-game news conference that Gausman and Bassitt were “gutsy” for stepping into unfamiliar roles as relievers but succeeding.
“I think that I try to learn from every experience that you’ve been through, and Game 7 is a whole different animal where things get a little bit quirky, you know?” said Schneider. “There comes a time where you just trust people and you just trust guys that have been there, right?”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
