TORONTO, CANADAโThe Los Angeles Dodgers, battered, bruised, and facing elimination just 48 hours earlier, staged a historic, white-knuckle comeback that culminated in the early hours of Sunday morning, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in an epic, 11-inning Game 7 of the World Series.
The thrilling victory, secured in a stunned Rogers Centre, delivers the Dodgers their second consecutive World Series titleโcementing their status as a modern baseball dynasty and becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees achieved the feat a quarter-century ago.
The Game of the Century
The winner-take-all contest was an instant classic defined by relentless drama and late-game heroics:
- Blue Jays Seize the Lead: Toronto seized an emotional early lead when star second baseman Bo Bichetteโplaying through injuryโblasted a three-run home run off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani in the third inning, igniting the home crowd and putting the Dodgers on the brink.
- The Ninth-Inning Miracle: Down 4-3 and facing elimination in the top of the ninth with two outs, the Dodgersโ season rested on the shoulders of shortstop Miguel Rojas. Rojas, a defensive stalwart, delivered the clutch swing of his career, smashing a solo home run off Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman to tie the game and force extra innings.
- The Go-Ahead Blast: The decisive blow came in the top of the 11th. Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who struggled for much of the series, launched a towering solo home run off the Blue Jays’ weary bullpen, putting the Dodgers ahead 5-4.
Yamamotoโs Unthinkable Heroics
While Smith provided the offense, the title was sealed by a gutsy, unthinkable performance by Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Having started and won Game 6 just the night before, throwing 96 pitches, Yamamoto surprisingly emerged from the bullpen to navigate the Dodgers through the treacherous late innings.
In the bottom of the 11th, with runners on first and third and two outs, the $325 million man induced a ground ball off the bat of Alejandro Kirk. Shortstop Mookie Betts fielded the grounder cleanly and started the game-ending 6-4-3 double play, securing the World Series and triggering a frantic on-field celebration.
“He was the MVP of this series. That was incredible,” Will Smith said of Yamamoto. “I talked to him yesterday. I was like, ‘Hey, if you can give us one, we’re going to win.’ He gave us three. That was special.”
A Dynasty Unquestioned
The victory marks the Dodgers’ ninth World Series title overall and their third in just six years, definitively ending the debate over their dynasty status. Manager Dave Roberts has now led the club to four titles since 2016.
For the Blue Jays, the loss is a heartbreaking end to an improbable run, leaving them still seeking their first title since 1993.
The 2024-2025 Los Angeles Dodgers, having weathered injuries, relentless pressure, and a deficit in the final games, proved that championship baseball is about more than just star powerโit’s about grit, pitching depth, and a willingness to fight until the final out. They head home to Los Angeles as the undisputed kings of baseball, the first back-to-back champions of the new millennium.