

The Toronto Blue Jays take the field on Friday night looking to clinch their first World Series title since 1993. Leading the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to two, the Jays have been excellent this entire postseason, providing a brand of baseball that has uplifted an entire country.
And there have been plenty of heroes, from rookie Trey Yesavage to closer Jeff Hoffman, to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to George Springer.
But there's also been another group of heroes that won't get the same adulation as the group above, but they should: The bottom of the order, which has absolutely been a difference-maker for Toronto in these playoffs.
The 6-9 hitters have worked pitchers, raised pitch counts, gotten base hits and worked walks that have set the stage for the top of the lineup.
Look no further than this sequence from Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Addison Barger, the No. 7 hitter, worked a leadoff walk against Bryan Woo. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the No. 8 hitter, singled on an 0-2 pitch, setting the stage for an Andres Gimenez sacrifice bunt.
And that set the stage for the Springer three-run homer, which was one of the biggest hits in franchise history.
But that's not all. That group has also packed a punch themselves.
The 29-year-old former castoff has turned into an October hero for Toronto, hitting .391 in 64 at-bats with a homer and nine RBIs. He's got a .397 on-base percentage and an 11-game postseason hit streak, which is the second-longest in team playoff history.
The 25-year-old hasn't been at the bottom of the order every game of this run, but he's been impactful wherever he's hit. A powerful lefty, he's mashed to the tune of a .346 average and a .414 on-base percentage. He's got three homers and nine RBIs, and his Grand Slam in Game 1 of the World Series helped fuel a Toronto victory.
A former Platinum Glove winner, Gimenez is known more for his glove than his bat, and he's still only hitting .228 this postseason. The catch? His home runs in Games 3 and 4 of the ALCS helped Toronto earn victories in both of those games as they erased a 2-0 series deficit against Seattle. Those homers also erased early deficits in those specific games.
He also has 11 RBIs.
The bottom of the order will look to stay hot on Friday night as the Jays attempt to close out the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 8:00 pm. ET as Kevin Gausman (TOR) pitches against Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD).
HISTORY OFF THE TOP: Davis Schneider and Vlad Guerrero Jr. started off Game 5 with consecutive home runs, something that's never been done before. CLICK HERE:
WHAT's NEXT FOR SPRINGER? Springer is battling an oblique issue, but looks like he'll try to go in Game 6. What does it come down to? CLICK HERE:
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