Isiah Kiner-Falefa certainly didn’t waste any time getting himself reacquainted with the Toronto Blue Jays fanbase.
On Tuesday night at the Rogers Centre, Kiner-Falefa was playing his first home game for the Blue Jays in 2025, rejoining the team he played for last season after a waiver claim late last month.
Kiner-Falefa had played 119 games this season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who currently sit 13th in the National League, and far out from a playoff spot.
But suddenly thrust into the midst of a postseason race, the 30-year-old came up in a big spot in Tuesday’s contest against the Houston Astros.
Entering the game as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter, Kiner-Falefa drove in two runs with the bases loaded to tie the score at three runs apiece.
IKF TIES IT! pic.twitter.com/XXGZ4bxhVH
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 10, 2025
The Blue Jays eventually walked the game off in the 10th inning via a hit from catcher Tyler Heineman.
For a player who could’ve easily been out of the majors a few weeks ago if he had gone unclaimed on waivers, Kiner-Falefa seemed to be appreciating the chance to come up big.
“I was just trying to be in the moment,” Kiner-Falefa said in an on-field post-game interview with Sportsnet. “Great crowd. I’m so happy to be back in Canada. Got goosebumps out there, just trying to slow it down and just appreciate where I’m at.”
“I’m so happy to be back in Canada” – Isiah Kiner-Falefa 🥲🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/waAT9ItDi0
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 10, 2025
“I visualized it walking up to the plate. I was like… I went to Pittsburgh for this hit right here. It’s all come full circle,” he added postgame, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson.
As the Jays’ season winds down, it’s unclear how many more big moments a player like Kiner-Falefa might get on the stretch drive of September. But for the time being, he appears to be riding the wave of momentum and having a blast upon his return north of the border.