We’re right in the thick of one of baseball’s fiercest rivalries with the Blue Jays and Dodgers squaring off for the ultimate prize: The World Series title. But even in the middle of all this fire, baseball has a way of showing heart. Thanks to Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia, we were reminded that the game goes beyond wins and losses.

While Vesia stays away from the Series due to personal reasons, both teams came together in a touching show of support. In Game 6, the Blue Jays’ relievers took the field with a white “51,” Vesia’s number, marked on the right side of their caps beside the World Series patch. And now comes the Dodgers’ response, one that was every bit as emotional and uplifting.

The first response comes from the Dodgers’ Kike Hernandez. “For those guys to do that, it’s incredible,” Hernandez remarked.

“They’re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that this is — life is bigger than baseball, and baseball’s just a game. For them to do that with the stakes — where we were at with the stakes, hats off to them, and I want them to know that we appreciate ’em. Regardless of what happens tonight, we appreciate what they did.”

Baseball has always been about more than just the on-field rivalry.

In a beautiful show of solidarity with Alex Vesia, the Dodgers bullpen also paid tribute. They, too, wrote his No. 51 on their caps.

As Blue Jays manager John Schneider put it, “I think we have a lot of good people, a lot of good humans.” It’s a powerful reminder that, beyond the competition, there’s compassion and connection. For Vesia, who’s navigating a tough personal time, that kind of support means everything.

And true to the spirit of the game, the Dodgers deserve credit for acknowledging the Blue Jays’ act of kindness, even with a World Series battle still raging. Like American singer Juliana Hatfield once said, “Baseball is more than a game. It’s like life played out on a field.” Moments like these prove exactly that.

Blue Jays’ biggest challenge could also come from the same man

While Kike Hernandez might have shown a touch of sportsmanship in response to the Blue Jays’ classy gesture, don’t mistake that for him letting up once he’s on the field. And if Game 6 was any indication, Hernandez was one of the key reasons the Blue Jays couldn’t seal the series last night.

Remember that dramatic ninth inning? One out, runners on second and third. Jays’ Andres Gimenez ripped a line drive that looked destined to change the game. But Hernandez made a spectacular running catch in center field.

Without missing a beat, he fired the ball to second to double off Addison Barger. Just like that, the Dodgers closed it out 3-1, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7!

And Hernandez wasn’t done yet.

In another heads-up move early in the inning, he alerted rookie Justin Dean to signal for a lodged-ball rule after Barger’s hit got stuck in the outfield fence padding. Thus, denying the Blue Jays an extra base.

So, Kike might have extended an olive branch off the field. But once he steps onto that diamond, it’s all business. Blue Jays fans, don’t be surprised if you see a few more of those sharp, game-changing plays from him tonight.