Mariners' Dan Wilson Offers Lame Defense Of Season-Ending Decision

There are gut-wrenching losses, and then there's what the Seattle Mariners experienced on Monday night.

Leading Game 7 of the American League Championship Series over the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 3-1, the Mariners allowed the tying runs into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mariners manager Dan Wilson brought in reliever Eduard Bazardo, who first emerged as a solid high-leverage option this year, to face all-time postseason great George Springer.

What happened next will live in Mariners infamy for decades, if not centuries. Springer left the ballpark, handing Toronto a 4-3 win to shut Seattle out of the Fall Classic and ensure there remains just one team that has never made it to a World Series.

Dan Wilson attempts to explain game-sealing choices

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

The decision was really two decisions: bringing in Bazardo, and not intentionally walking Springer with first base open. Wilson offered plausible, but not fully satifsying explanations for both of those choices.

“Bazardo has been the guy that's gotten us through those situations, those tight ones, especially in the pivot role,” Wilson said, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “And that's where we were going at that point.”

“You make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with it."

Well, the Mariners died, and in a do-or-die game, you usually want to go out having deployed your best weapons. No offense whatsoever to Bazardo, who should be immensely proud of his season. But you had to figure the game was on the line in that seventh inning, and in such a tight spot, there was never going to be a better time to deploy your highest-leverage reliever.

And speaking of that tight spot... why did the Mariners pitch to Springer? The short answer is that they didn't want Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting involved in the inning, and probably figured the only way that decision would really burn them is if Springer left the ballpark.

“It’s a tough call,” Wilson said, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “It’s a tough decision. You don’t want to put that go-ahead run at first. And then that also introduces (Guerrero) into the equation (hitting behind Nathan Lukes) if you don’t get the double play. The way we looked at it, we were going to go with George.”

It's hard to even judge that second choice because the Mariners didn't want their most dynamic arm on the mound to face either or both of the Blue Jays' most dangerous hitters with the season on the line. But Blue Jays skipper John Schneider admitted he was thrilled Springer got a chance to bat in that situation, per Rogers.

It's impossible to say when the hurting will stop, but it won't be anytime soon.

More MLB: Julio Rodriguez Has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Message Before Mariners-Blue Jays Game 7