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Blue Jays’ John Schneider blasts Mariners fans for booing injured George Springer
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- Blue Jays’ John Schneider blasts Mariners fans for booing injured George Springer
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The Toronto Blue Jays fell 6-2 to the Seattle Mariners in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Friday night at T-Mobile Park, putting the Jays on the brink of elimination in the best-of-seven series. The injury to star outfielder and designated hitter George Springer , who took a pitch to the knee in the seventh inning, worsened the loss.
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Springer had been the beating heart behind Toronto's recent ALCS surge. After losing the first two games at home, the Blue Jays scored 21 runs on 29 hits across Games 3 and 4 in Seattle to even the series. The 36-year-old contributed significantly, going 3-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored in Wednesday's 13-4 win, followed by a 1-for-5 performance with a double and a run in Thursday's 8-2 victory. On Friday, he tied the game 1-1 with an RBI double in the fifth inning before leaving the contest.
After the game, Toronto manager John Schneider confirmed that Springer's knee X-rays came back negative. Not only that, he also criticized the Mariners fans for booing the star player after the injury.
"I think the fans that were booing him should take a look in the mirror and understand what kind of a player he is," Schneider said. "When a guy gets hit in the knee and is in obvious pain, and you have 40,000 people cheering, not the right thing to do."
Springer finished fourth in MLB with a .309 batting average and a .959 OPS in 2025. His postseason OPS entering Game 5 was .911, trailing only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1.470), Ernie Clement (1.067), and Daulton Varsho (.917) on the team.
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The Blue Jays briefly regained the lead in the sixth inning when Ernie Clement singled home Alejandro Kirk , making it 2-1. Kevin Gausman pitched a strong outing, lasting 5.2 innings and allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four. Louis Varland followed with 1.1 scoreless innings. However, relievers Brendon Little and Seranthony Dominguez floundered in the eighth, allowing the Mariners to score five runs, with a solo homer from Cal Raleigh and a grand slam by Eugenio Suarez , giving Seattle the 6-2 victory.
Toronto went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while the Mariners were 1-for-5. Joey Loperfido pinch-ran for Springer after the injury, but the team was unable to capitalize.
Now trailing 3-2 in the series, the Blue Jays must win both remaining games to reach the World Series for the first time since Springer joined the team. Toronto will host Game 6 on Sunday at 8:03 p.m. ET.
Related: Blue Jays' George Springer exits Game 5 after brutal pitch off knee
Related: Blue Jays' Max Scherzer offers advice amid competitive 2-2 ALCS vs. Mariners
