'I'll take Jeff Hoffman': Blue Jays stand behind closer despite giving up grand slam

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks crowd roared as Corbin Carroll connected with the bases loaded in Saturday’s eighth inning. The 30,000 fans knew, off the bat, their outfielder had delivered a late grand slam off Toronto Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman.Hoffman held Toronto’s ninth-inning role through the peaks and valleys of a tumultuous 2025 season, right to the end of the World Series. Saturday, he allowed a big inning for the second time this trip, pushing his ERA to 7.71 in the early weeks of the season. Though Hoffman has rattled off a few strong outings, these recent blow-ups surely dredged up trauma for Blue Jays fans remembering blown leads and a specific Game 7 homer from a year ago. But Hoffman’s manager and teammates stood behind the right-hander after Saturday’s game.Advertisement