‘Old man’ Springer, Bichette soak up a game of memorable moments

Centre-fielder A.J. Ewing backed up the play, but he dropped the ball on the transfer, recording the error, while allowing Springer to round third and run all the way home to open the scoring.

After the game, Soto said the ball took a “weird hop on me and bounced a little different.”

“When you have an outfield like that, that bounces a lot, you have to be aware because you can give up extra-base hits really easy,” Soto said.

Springer, meanwhile, said all he was thinking about was reaching third base.

“Then I’m following (third base coach Carlos) Febles, and all of a sudden his arm starts going crazy, the fans start going crazy,” said Springer, who notched his first triple of the year.

“I didn’t know what happened. I was watching (Nathan Lukes) coming around third, and he just basically had his arms up, like to stand up, so that’s when I think I ran out of breath and gas, and just started smiling.”

“He was moving, old man was moving,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Pretty easy send from Carlos, but it was a good way to start the game, for sure. Scoring first after getting a zero in the first inning, so the old man can still move a little bit.”

The game also saw former Blue Jays star Bo Bichette, who played his first seven MLB seasons with Toronto, make his first return to the Rogers Centre since departing as a free agent and signing a three-year, US$126 million deal with the Mets.

“I love Bo, and he was so good to me while he was here, and he was so good for us as a team, for the organization,” Springer said. “He means the world to that locker room, so to see him here today in another jersey, it’s tough, but you know, it’s OK. I’m happy for him.”

Bichette received two standing ovations from the 41,634-sellout crowd at Rogers Centre, including one after a tribute video that played on the stadium’s big screen before the game and ahead of his first at-bat. Bichette took off his helmet and acknowledged the crowd before stepping back into the batter’s box.

“I thought it was cool that our fans recognized him, and rightfully so,” Schneider said. “It took Vladdy (Guerrero Jr.) to get him to take his helmet off, but I thought the reaction was really, really well deserved.”

Springer wasn’t surprised it took nudging from his former teammate to get Bichette to remove his helmet and soak in the moment.

“Bo doesn’t want attention; he just wants to go play,” Springer said. “I’m glad he did it. For him to acknowledge the fans and the fans to acknowledge him, I know he’s not going to forget that.”

The Blue Jays will try to win the series on Tuesday when they send right-hander Kevin Gausman (4-6, 4.36 ERA) to the mound. The Mets will counter with right-hander Nolan McLean (4-5, 4.03).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2026.

Kaitlyn McGrath, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

‘Old man’ Springer, Bichette soak up a game of memorable moments

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