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Blue Jays were happy Red Sox lost to Yankees in AL Wild Card, newcomer reveals
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- Blue Jays were happy Red Sox lost to Yankees in AL Wild Card, newcomer reveals
FORT MYERS — The Toronto Blue Jays knew they were going to play either the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.
And they were hoping it wasn’t going to be Boston.
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Isiah Kiner-Falelfa , who played for the Blue Jays last year, admitted the Blue Jays thought the Yankees would be an easier matchup than the Red Sox .
“I don’t know if people were expecting Boston to get in last year. But I know in Toronto we were happy they lost because we weren’t ready for (Garrett) Crochet and all those guys,” Kiner-Falefa said shortly after his one-year deal with the Red Sox was made official.
When asked if discussions about not wanting to play the Red Sox was a real topic in Toronto’s clubhouse, Kiner-Faelfa didn’t hesitate to answer.
“One-hundred percent,” he said. “We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way. We were watching Crochet just dice up. ... We definitely felt like it was a tougher matchup for us. So, once we saw the other team (win), we were a lot happier. It was definitely a topic.”
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Toronto got its wish after New York beat the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card. The Blue Jays then beat the Yankees to advance to the AL Championship Series and eventually the World Series, where they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.
In Game 7 , Kiner-Falefa was thrown out at home plate in the bottom of the ninth inning on a throw that beat him by an inch. Had he been safe, the Blue Jays would have won the World Series.
Kiner-Falefa said he’s “still not over” the play and wants a chance to return to the World Series, which he believes is a real possibility with the Red Sox.
“Being here I think is the best opportunity for me to get back there,” he said. “I won’t ever get over that (play), it’s more how I can back. I see this as a great opportunity to do that.”
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