Springer moves up postseason HR charts with leadoff blast
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TORONTO -- George Springer opened the ALCS with a bang.
On the very first pitch the Blue Jays saw Sunday night from Bryce Miller and the Mariners, Springer launched a no-doubter to the opposite field, the first leadoff home run in Blue Jays postseason history. It ended up as the only run for the home team in Toronto's eventual 3-1 loss.
Chasing their first trip to the World Series since Joe Carter touched ’em all in 1993, Springer gave the Blue Jays what felt like a perfect start. The “Let’s go Blue Jays” chants were pouring down immediately. After they’d put up 34 runs over four games against the Yankees, Springer’s shot made it feel like more of the same was coming.
Instead, the Blue Jays had just one hit after that as Miller and the Mariners’ bullpen dominated. The last team to hit a leadoff home run in a postseason game and not score again was the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox. The Blue Jays need this entire offense to jolt back to life, but Springer is still red hot.
“Georgie has a good plan and he’s been doing this for a while,” manager John Schneider said. “That moment was cool. He always knows what he’s going to do before the game starts. From my view, that’s an impressive swing to basically hit a no-doubter the other way. Georgie’s got a lot of leadoff homers.”
He’s right. In the regular season, Springer’s 63 career home runs to lead off a game are second in MLB history, trailing only the great Rickey Henderson (81).
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Moments like these are why the Blue Jays brought Springer to Toronto five years ago. Back then, Springer’s six-year, $150 million deal was the largest in franchise history. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who’s since more than tripled that number, was just two years into his big league career along with Bo Bichette, but the Springer signing represented the next step for the Blue Jays from a rebuilding franchise to one chasing championships.
It’s taken longer than planned -- both for Springer and the Blue Jays -- but moments like these are what he was brought to Canada for. The 2017 World Series MVP has a reputation as one of the game’s biggest postseason performers, now with 21 home runs in 72 career games, and has this uncanny ability to thrive under the immense pressures of October baseball.
“Give credit to Springer, he’s an awesome player and he got that one out [on the] first pitch,” said the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, who later launched one of his own.
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Springer’s 21 postseason home runs break a tie with Derek Jeter to move him into fifth place in MLB history, trailing only Bernie Williams (22), Kyle Schwarber (23), Jose Altuve (27) and Manny Ramirez (29).
Springer has been one of the best stories in baseball this season, a career resurgence at 36, just when it looked like things were careening in the opposite direction. He hit .309 with 32 home runs and a .959 OPS, likely enough to land him on the back end of some AL MVP ballots.
The Blue Jays are going to need more of this from Springer, but even in such an incredible season, he can’t do it all himself.