Isiah Kiner-Falefa Opens Up on World Series Game 7 Play, Blue Jays’ Postseason Matchup Preference, and Fresh Start with Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Four months removed from one of the most talked-about plays in recent World Series memory, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is ready to talk. The veteran infielder, now officially a member of the Boston Red Sox after signing a one-year, $6 million deal, offered his perspective on the controversial baserunning decision that ended the ninth inning of Game 7 - and possibly cost the Toronto Blue Jays a championship.
With the score tied 4-4, one out, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Kiner-Falefa broke for home on a ground ball to second. The Dodgers turned the play perfectly, cutting down Kiner-Falefa at the plate. Los Angeles would go on to win the game 5-4 in 11 innings, sealing the title and leaving Toronto - and its fans - stunned.
“Off the bat I was trying to break up the double play,” Kiner-Falefa said on Tuesday, speaking publicly about the play for the first time. “In my mind, I thought it was a routine ground ball at second and they were going to go home to first. So I went in hard to slide - that was my intention.”
His read of the play came down to instinct and situation. With Ernie Clement - one of Toronto’s hottest hitters during the series - on deck, Kiner-Falefa said his priority was avoiding a double play that would have ended the inning and stranded the go-ahead run at third.
“I didn’t really see the trip by Rojas or all the little things,” he said, referencing Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas, who appeared to stumble briefly on the play. “From where I was, I was just thinking: break up that double play and get our best, hottest hitter up at the time.”
Clement did get his shot, flying out deep in the next at-bat, but the damage had already been done. The Dodgers took control in extra innings, and the Blue Jays were left to wonder what might’ve been.
Kiner-Falefa’s decision became an instant flashpoint. Critics questioned his jump off third, his read of the play, and even his presence on the basepaths in that moment. But the 28-year-old said it wasn’t a freelance move - it was part of a season-long approach Toronto emphasized in those situations.
“If I could do it over, I definitely would have gotten a couple of steps out,” he admitted. “But you have to do what the organization wants, and that’s kind of been the thing there - with runners in that situation, they would always keep the runner close.”
Manager John Schneider publicly defended Kiner-Falefa at the Winter Meetings, saying he felt for his veteran infielder. Still, the criticism came fast and heavy, especially online, and Kiner-Falefa said one of the toughest parts was not having a chance to speak in the immediate aftermath.
“My biggest regret was that there were no cameras in my face after the game,” he said. “If it was going to be such a big deal, it would have been nice to have the camera in my face and have a chance to speak. But it blew up without me getting a proper interview, so I thought that was unfair.”
Kiner-Falefa spent the offseason back home in Hawaii, taking time to reset. Now, as he joins a Red Sox team looking to reassert itself in the AL East, he’s carrying that World Series experience with him - not as baggage, but as a lesson.
And he’s not shying away from the rivalry stakes, either. When asked about the Blue Jays’ mindset heading into last October’s postseason, he revealed that Toronto was pulling for the Yankees to win the wild-card series - not the Red Sox.
“We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way,” Kiner-Falefa said. “We were watching that series, and we were watching (Garrett) Crochet just dice up.
I think we had just lost two out of three to Boston, and it put us behind the Yankees or tied us with them for the AL East lead in late September. We definitely felt Boston was a tougher matchup for us.”
Toronto ultimately got its wish, drawing the Yankees in the ALDS and dispatching them in four games. But Kiner-Falefa’s comments show just how much respect the Blue Jays had for that gritty Red Sox squad - and how close the margins were in a postseason that ended in heartbreak.
Now, wearing Boston red instead of Toronto blue, Kiner-Falefa is embracing the next chapter. He’s got a new team, a new opportunity, and a chance to turn the page on a moment that, fair or not, will always be part of his story.
And if there’s one thing he’s made clear, it’s this: he’s ready to move forward - but he’s not running from the past.