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 everyone, because everyone believes in you.”
Bieber scattered seven hits over 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs but striking out five as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Monday to advance to the World Series.
Relievers Louis Warland and Ceranthony Dominguez followed Bieber to the mound, but in an unusual move, starting pitchers Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt came out of the bullpen for a pitch each before closer Jeff Hoffman got the final three outs of the game.
“I'm grateful for every opportunity to go out and take the ball away from this club and these guys. I'm so happy,” Bieber said as teammates, including Scherzer, doused him with beer in the Toronto clubhouse. “I just knew every outing was going to be tough and you were going to be able to pass the baton.
“What a statement for Gausman and Bassitt to come out like that. I'm not surprised they can 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 hasn't pitched an inning this year. The 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner was traded to Toronto for pitching prospect Hal Stephen.
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The two-time All-Star had not yet fully recovered from ulnar collateral ligament surgery when he joined the Blue Jays, so he didn't know what to expect.
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“The honest truth is, I was just focused on trying to get back to playing in the Major Leagues so I could help this group and this team and try to win games,” said Bieber, who made 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’m pitching Game 7 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 contract worth US$15.5 million to join the Blue Jays as a free agent.
“When I started playing for this team and I thought this team came together, I had to dream,” Scherzer said. “I started dreaming with these guys, and everyone started dreaming.
“Here it is, the dream is real.”
Scherzer started for Toronto in Game 4 of the ALCS on October 16, becoming the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to start a postseason game for six different teams. He said what set the Blue Jays apart this season was how they supported each other through the ups and downs of the season.
“We're just a great team, the clubhouse staff, everyone,” said Scherzer, who will be playing in his fourth World Series. “No matter what happens, we will always support each other.
“That's what we've been doing all year. This series was a microcosm of what happened all year.”
Warland allowed a run in his 1 1/3 innings, leaving the Blue Jays behind 3-1. Dominguez then had a perfect inning before manager John Schneider called Gausman out of the bullpen. Gausman, who typically made three walks in the starting lineup, came 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 shocked, and as you saw, I had a little trouble finding the zone,” Gausman said on the Rogers Center field, holding the American League championship trophy. “But I hit a big pitch, got a double play and made another play to get the big hit.
“I was very excited.”
Bassitt came on in the eighth, getting an out and tying the ball before Hoffman struck out the team in the ninth for his second save of the postseason.
Schneider said in his postgame press conference that Gausman and Bassitt were “brave” in taking on unfamiliar reliever roles but excelled.
“I think I try to learn from every experience you go through, and Game 7 is a whole different animal where things get a little freaky, you know?” – said Schneider. “There comes a time when you just trust people and you just trust the guys that were there, right?”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
