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Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider (36) is out at home against Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) in the tenth inning during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Blue Jays Lost Insane World Series Game 3 on One Horrible Coaching Decision

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Michael Brauner | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays lost an absolute heartbreaker on Monday night after fighting admirably for 18 innings, eventually falling victim to Freddie Freeman's second consecutive World Series with a walk-off home run after playing essentially two full games.

While it's just one game in the series and the Blue Jays will try to even the series back up -- and ensure more games in Toronto -- on Tuesday night, losing a game like that in a seven-game series always feels like more than just one loss to the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

After spending nine pitchers and still coming away with the defeat, bouncing back is going to be one of the toughest tasks this team has faced all season long. But how did they get here?

The truth is that the game for the Blue Jays was lost long before Freeman's 18th inning blast. Toronto cost themselves the game with a coaching decision that they are surely regretting this morning.

Blue Jays Decision to Send Schneider in 10th Inning Was Egregious

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

In the top of the 10th inning with Davis Schneider on first base, Nathan Lukes fired one out to right field which looked like it would have a chance to score the runner from first, and third base coach Carlos Febles sent Schneider to try to score.

The only problem? It wasn't even close. Schneider was out by a mile. New video from the play showing the bird's eye view made the decison look even worse:

A good angle that shows the send from the third base coach on the play that kept the game tied in the 10th inning pic.twitter.com/jZSDEuIAO3
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 28, 2025

Even just being looked at individually and independent of any other factor Febles clearly made a brutal call to try to send Schneider around. However, the circumstances surrounding his choice make it look even worse.

Had Toronto opted to play conservatively and smartly by leaving the runners on second and third, they very well may have won it right then and there.

Blue Jays Had Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Coming Up to Bat Next

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If Febles had thought more closely about the situation on hand, Toronto would have had Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- who is in the midst of one of the best postseasons baseball has ever seen -- coming up to bat with runners on second and third.

Though with two outs he very likely may have been walked, this would have turned the pressure way up on Dodgers reliever Emmet Sheehan with the bases loaded and nowhere to put any runner. Of course, it's far from a guarantee Isiah Kiner-Falefa would have found a way to reach base at that point, but not giving him the chance in that situation with the send was absolutely brutal by Febles.

Now facing what looks to be pretty much a must-win on Tuesday night, Febles and the coaching staff will try to redeem themselves by making the right call when those big situations arise.

If the Blue Jays do in fact go on to lose this World Series though, it will be tough not to look back at the 10th inning of Game 3 and the missed opportunity there as a massive reason why.