The Seattle Mariners’ postseason heartbreak featured a deflating, late-game home run with a pitching decision that will be questioned throughout the offseason for the second straight time after a playoff run.

Only this time it came in the game that ended their season.

Heartbreak: Seattle Mariners sunk by Blue Jays in ALCS Game 7

The Mariners were eight outs away from their first trip to the World Series. The Blue Jays were threatening to erase their 3-1 lead with runners on second and third and one out in the seventh inning. With slugger George Springer coming up to the plate, Dan Wilson replaced Bryan Woo with Eduard Bazardo.

Springer clobbered a go-ahead, three-run home run two pitches later, and the Blue Jays held on for a 4-3 win to end the Mariners’ season in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

Three years ago when the M’s last made the playoffs, it was then-manager Scott Servais’ decision to have starter Robbie Ray come out of the bullpen to pitch to Yordan Alvarez in Game 2 of the ALDS that loomed large. This time it was Wilson’s decision to go with Bazardo.

Wilson stood by the choice when asked about it postgame.

“Bazardo’s been doing it all season long and has been so consistent at it, and he’s done such a good job all year,” Wilson said postgame. “We felt really comfortable with him out there, the way he’s been throwing the ball, especially in this series, and it was a good spot for him.”

Bazardo had a breakout season for the Mariners, compiling a 2.52 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 78 2/3 innings in the regular season. He had pitched in eight postseason games with six scoreless appearances entering Monday.

But All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz was also available to turn to for an earlier-than-usual role to face the most dangerous hitters in the Blue Jays’ lineup. He hadn’t allowed a hit in the postseason to that point.

“You make your decisions, and sometimes you have to live and die with it,” Wilson said. “… It just, again, didn’t go our way.”

Muñoz ended up coming on to pitch the eighth and escaped a jam with runners on first and third and no outs to record a scoreless inning.

Another option for Wilson would have been to stick with Woo against Springer. The All-Star right-hander was in his third inning of relief, but had allowed both runners to reach and was pitching for just the second time since coming back from right pectoral inflammation.

“I think he had given us such a good outing there and it was time to turn it over, we thought, to leverage guys that are in those situations,” Wilson said, “and that’s what went into that decision.”

Wilson was also asked about the possibility of walking Springer to set up the force out at every base. He didn’t want to take the risk of the other problem that could have presented.

“It’s a tough decision,” Wilson said. “You don’t want to put that go-ahead run at first, and then that also introduces (Blue Jays No. 3 hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) into the equation if you don’t get the double play. So again, the way we looked at it was we were going to go at George.”

Seattle Mariners ALCS coverage

• What They Said: Seattle Mariners after losing ALCS Game 7
• Stacy Rost: What to point to from Mariners’ Game 7 loss
• Mariners’ Josh Naylor at center of unusual play in Game 7
• Recap: Springer’s HR lifts Blue Jays over M’s and into World Series
• Called It: Polanco predicts Julio’s HR in ALCS Game 7