Jays' Hoffman shoulders blame for crushing loss: 'It feels pretty shitty'

The Toronto Blue Jays had a World Series championship in their grasp. Then Jeff Hoffman threw a slider to Miguel Rojas that will likely haunt him forever.

Rojas, the Los Angeles Dodgers' light-hitting shortstop, ripped a solo home run in the top of the ninth off Hoffman to tie Game 7 at 4-4 and silence Rogers Centre. Two innings later, it was the visiting Dodgers who were celebrating a second consecutive championship.

"I cost everybody in here a World Series ring, it feels pretty shitty," Hoffman told reporters after the Blue Jays' crushing 5-4 loss. "You got to execute better in that spot and not let that (home run) happen."

Hoffman had issues with home runs in the regular season, but got that problem under control in a big way during the playoffs. He finished the postseason with a 1.46 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 18 strikeouts, and two saves over 10 appearances, while allowing just one homer - to Rojas on Saturday.

Shane Bieber eventually gave up the series-winning homer to Will Smith in the top of the 11th.

Although Hoffman was inconsolable following the loss, his teammates were quick to stand by the closer.

"I'd go to war with Jeff Hoffman every day of the week," third baseman Ernie Clement - whose ninth-inning fly ball nearly won the World Series for Toronto before a remarkable catch by Andy Pages - said, per TSN.

"I want him on the mound. I want (Bieber) on the mound. Those are guys who I would take a bullet for, and 99 times out of 100 they get the job done. ... I feel for those guys so much."