AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MARINERS VS BLUE JAYS

October 20, 2025

Dan Wilson

Rogers Centre

Seattle Mariners

Postgame 7 Press Conference

Blue Jays - 4, Mariners - 3

You go into the bottom of the 7th, you're nine outs away from the World Series, things kind of went awry. Can you walk us through all the pitching decisions there.

DAN WILSON: Yeah, Bryan was throwing the ball so well -- first of all, George, I thought, threw the ball excellent, and then Bryan picked up right where George left off and gave us a good spot to be in. After the walk, hoping to get the ground ball, which we did, but it just found a hole. And then Giménez was going to bunt there. Bazardo has been the guy that's gotten us through those situation, those tight ones, especially in the pivot role, and that's where we were going at that point.

Q. Did you consider going to Muñoz and why did you like Bazardo better than Muñoz in that situation?

DAN WILSON: Well, I think, like we said, Bazardo's been doing it all is season long and has been so consistent at it and he's done such a good job all year. We felt really comfortable with him out there, the way he's been throwing the ball, especially in this series, and it was a good spot for him.

Q. What was your message to the team after the game?

DAN WILSON: Just to hold up their heads and to understand what kind of a season they had. I mean, I know this stings and there's no question that it's going to sting, but the kind of season they had, doing things that no team in this organization has ever done, and knocking on the door of a World Series, all that, you know, it's due to how hard they've worked, how hard they've played all season long, all the times they have come back, all the times they have bounced back. It's a special team in there. It's a shame that we had to come out on the wrong side of this one.

Q. Understanding that Bazardo has been great, Muñoz not getting in until after you had lost the lead, does that stick with you at all? I mean, he had seemed to have a lot of rest. He was great this postseason.

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I mean, you make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with it. I think, again, the way Bazardo has thrown the ball all season long, we were comfortable with where we were and it just, again, didn't go our way.

Q. You've given so much of your career and your life to this organization. You have the perspective that a lot of people don't. Just what are the emotions now that it has come to an end here?

DAN WILSON: It's very, very mixed. Disappointed, obviously. Frustrated. But incredibly proud of what those guys have done. Incredibly proud of what they have done all season long. And the team that's in there, you know, you just can't say enough good things about the way those guys have played. When you look at the pieces that were added, you're grateful to the organization, to Jerry and Justin for putting all of it together.

It was just an outstanding season, a great series here, but it's tough to come up on the short end.

Q. You guys lost in a similar way in 2000, but then also came back in 2001 and had a great year. How do you go about kind of processing it and maybe using it as motivation going into next season?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I mean, I think all of us now have had a taste of how close we can get and how good this team can be. So I think once you get that, that's what you're shooting for again the next year, and I know that will continue to be the goal. That was the goal this year. It will continue to be the goal, is to get to that final step and, you know, this year we were one game short.

Q. You had traffic on Bieber early, lots of hits off of him, but you just only came away with the handful of runs. Did you feel like you were kicking yourself a little bit because you didn't add on when you had the opportunities to when you had a lot of guys on base?

DAN WILSON: I thought we had some good at-bats again today. Julio and Cal going deep was big to give us some lift. Offensively, I thought we swung the bat pretty well. We just at times were not able to get, like you said, kind of the lead to open it up. But where we were with our pitching, usually we're in a good spot. I thought offensively we did the things we needed to do.

Q. With Springer coming up, he's got such a great October pedigree, was there any thought to walking him and setting up a double play?

DAN WILSON: I mean, it's a tough call. Again, it's a tough decision. You don't want to put that go-ahead run at first, and then that also introduces Vlady into the equation if you don't get the double play. So again, the way we looked at it was we were going to go at George.

Q. Was there any consideration to leave Bryan in in that moment just given the success that he had against Springer, maybe even go to Brash or was that off the table just given that he threw so many pitches yesterday?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I mean, I think he had given us such a good outing there and it was time to turn it over, we thought, to leverage guys that are in those situations, and that's what went into that decision.

Q. Was going to Woo always part of the plan today and what did you like about bringing him in there in the fifth when you did?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, that was a big part. We had hoped that he was going to be rested, and he was and felt good. We thought it was a good spot for him, a good cleaning, and he came in and threw the ball extremely well. I thought he handled the lineup very well.

Q. You spoke about Cal a lot this year, but kind of just maybe one last thought on his year as a whole, and what he's meant in his growth to the organization.

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I mean, an organizational player, an all-time player. When you look at what he has done numbers-wise for the organization, but also in Major League baseball in general, setting all-time records for what he did for with his home runs, and, again, what he does behind the plate and all that he puts into it. He is a guy that you just love to have on your team. He's a guy that you build your organization around and he is a leader. He has put together an incredible season and I'm sure there's more to come.

Q. You look out on the field, and over the first six innings when you had the lead, Bryan, George, two guys you drafted. Cal a guy you drafted, Julio, a guy that came up from the international system. There's a lot of home-grown talent. Do you feel like there is a core there, with a few minor additions or tweaks, that is going to continue this upward trajectory to get back here and maybe go beyond?

DAN WILSON: Yeah, I think that's a testament to the job that they have done in the front office. Jerry, Justin, Andy, from scouting, and Scott Hunter and the scouting department. The people they bring in, how they develop 'em, and they get 'em ready for the big leagues. Again, it's a tribute to the entire organization and everybody that pours into guys. And to see that many home-grown players on the field at one time is, it's unique and it's rare. And these guys have been developed to play in these circumstances, and they have been able to deliver on a consistent basis. It's been really good, and that's kind of what sets you up for the future as you go forward is their ability to stay with this organization and continue to do what they have been doing.