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Ernie Clement gives tearful comments after heartbreaking Toronto Blue Jays World Series loss

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
|
Nov 2 2025, 4:48 pm
Ernie Clement gives tearful comments after heartbreaking Toronto Blue Jays World Series loss
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays were so close to eternal glory, but all they got after Game 7 of the World Series were tears of despair.

It was the Dodgers, not the Jays, who got all the right plays in the final innings of Saturday’s World Series clincher. Toronto was just two outs away from victory before Miguel Rojas blasted a game-tying home run off Jeff Hoffman, which was followed up by another solo shot from Will Smith off Shane Bieber to win it for L.A. in the 11th inning.

The aftermath of the loss was devastating in the Blue Jays clubhouse. This was a team that truly believed that they had reached the ultimate goal, only for it to be ripped away at the final moment.

A visibly upset Ernie Clement told reporters that the loss obviously stung, but what he was most upset about was that this may be the last time this entire group plays together.

“I’ve been crying for like probably an hour,” Clement said as he held back tears. “I thought I was done with the tears, but I just love these guys so much. It was so much fun coming to work every day and battling with these guys, and we have so much to be proud of, even though it didn’t go our way.

“All I care about is hanging with these guys for another couple hours.”

 

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The Blue Jays had every opportunity to win the World Series after the Rojas tying home run. They had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and all they needed was one base hit to finish the job. Daulton Varsho failed to cash in, as he grounded a ball that the Dodgers got back to home plate for a force out, which then passed the buck to Clement at the plate.

Clement had been a hit machine over this World Series run, setting an MLB postseason record 30 hits in 18 games. He was the type of guy you’d want in this kind of situation, and he nearly delivered.

With the bases loaded, two outs, and the World Series-winning run on third base, Clement got a healthy swing on a pitch delivered from Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The ball was carried to centre field with both L.A. outfielders, Andy Pages and Enrique Hernandez, in hot pursuit.

It looked like it would wind up too deep for either outfielder, and the two eventually collided, but Pages found a way to catch the ball and end the inning. It was one of those “What-If” scenarios that will surely play inside the head of Clement and every Blue Jays fan for quite a while.

Clement’s love for his teammates has been obvious over the course of the postseason. Before Game 7, he jokingly told reporters that the Blue Jays had the power of friendship on their side. While he may have been saying that tongue-in-cheek, there was no doubt a lot of truth to that statement.
This one will sting for Clement, his Blue Jays teammates, and the Toronto faithful who cheered them on. To be so close to winning, yet still lose, is hard to swallow. But, eventually, everyone will realize just how special this team was and will look back fondly on this run despite the result.
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