Mariners Brass Doubles Down On Back-Breaking George Springer Decision

The Seattle Mariners' heartbreak is going to take at least a few more days to get over. Maybe months, maybe years.

When George Springer came to the plate as the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, just about everyone following the game realized that half-inning was most likely going to decide the winner of the series. If Springer or Nathan Lukes got on base, the Mariners would also have to go through Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to keep their 3-1 lead.

And with the season hanging in the balance, Seattle opted not to go to its closer, the dominant Andrés Muñoz, but setup man Eduard Bazardo, their breakout bullpen star who had previously been a total journeyman,

Mariners stand behind logic of bringing in Bazardo

Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Most know how the story plays out from there. Bazardo grooves Springer a sinker down Broadway, the postseason prodigy gets the barrel on it, and adds another chapter to his October legacy. And the next inning, the Mariners' best reliever pitched to a lesser part of the Blue Jays' order with no lead to protect.

Still, in the wake of the disaster, Mariners manager Dan Wilson and general manager Jerry Dipoto are standing behind the logic of making the move to Bazardo.

“We're comfortable with our process,” Dipoto said, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “And unsurprisingly, we ran through our baseline management process the same way we do. We went through every imaginable scenario at 7 o'clock. And I will say this, it's easy in hindsight to look back and say, ‘Why?’ And trust me when I tell you, every single one of us has spent some time reviewing the sequence of events as they went.”

Too many things had to go wrong for Springer to end up seeing that pitch from that pitcher. He'd faced Bazardo twice in the series already, whereas he hadn't seen Muñoz since the regular season.

And the previous night, he'd not only faced Bazardo, but seen the exact same sequence (sinker for a ball, sinker for a strike). He rolled over a ground ball to third base on Sunday, but the familiarity enabled him to succeed on Monday.

“As a manager, you have to make decisions,” Wilson said, per Kramer. “And in terms of, whether it's the Bazardo one, we have a good process in place. But managers have to wear decisions, one way or the other, and I think that that adds to this sting as well.”

The Mariners are wearing this one proudly, it seems. But fairly or not, history will remember that moment for a team neglecting to put its best option on the mound in the biggest moment it would face.

More MLB: Mariners Insider Drops Major Hint On Jorge Polanco's Future In Seattle