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By Dan Cancian
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. couldn't have scripted his return to Montreal any better. The 19-year-old blasted a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 1-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
It might have been just a spring training game but the match carried a much bigger meaning for the teenager, whose father became a star in Montreal. Guerrero Jr, who wears the same number 27 as his dad did during his career, admitted hitting the homer in front of Expos fans was a special feeling.
"These two days have been amazing for me, like a dream come true," Guerrero Jr, who was treated to two standing ovations by fans the Olympic Stadium, was quoted as saying by Sportsnet.
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"Of course, having that at-bat and having that chance to help the team win is something I'm always going to remember."
The Montreal-born Dominican will spend the season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a Double-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, to continue his development. However, he believes his performance in Montreal was a step in the right direction.
"Everything I've been doing that last two days here I'm going to remember," he added.
"I think it's a step forward in my learning process, in my career […] When you play with other players that have more experience than you, it motivates you and you learn more about yourself."
Guerrero's father arrived in Montreal from the Dominican Republic in 1996 aged just 21. He went on to hit .323/.390/.588 during eight season with the Expos, recording 234 home runs, 123 stolen bases and 84 outfield assists.
The 43-year-old, who won the Silver Slugger Award eight times, was an MLB All-Star nine times and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January this year.
Guerrero Sr. was in the ground on Monday night and took to Twitter to share the excitement at seeing his son taking center stage.
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