The Los Angeles Dodgers emerged victorious in a World Series for the ages, outlasting the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in a dramatic, extra-inning Game 7 on Saturday.
Catcher Will Smith delivered the most significant swing of the night, connecting in the 11th inning for a solo home run—the first extra-inning homer in a winner-take-all title game—to give the Dodgers their first lead of the night and secure their second consecutive championship.
The epic four-hour, seven-minute showdown was a “roller-coaster night of see-sawing emotions.” The Blue Jays led 3-0 early after Bo Bichette’s third-inning blast off Shohei Ohtani and maintained a 4-2 lead into the late innings.
The comeback began with Max Muncy’s solo homer in the eighth. Then, with the Blue Jays two outs from their first title since 1993, Miguel Rojas, a Game 6 lineup insert, stunned the Rogers Centre crowd by hitting a tying home run on a full-count slider in the ninth, forcing extra innings. Rojas is the first player to hit a tying homer in the ninth inning of a Game 7.
After both teams squandered chances in the 10th, Smith—who also homered in Game 2—sent a Shane Bieber slider into the Toronto bullpen for the decisive run. The drama wasn’t over, however, as the Blue Jays put the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the 11th. The game ended on a tense grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a series-winning 6-6-3 double play—only the second to end a World Series.
Manager Dave Roberts’ $500 million roster overcame a 3-2 series deficit on the road, becoming the first repeat champion in a quarter century and solidifying their case for a dynasty with their ninth championship.
World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto was instrumental, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitching 2 2/3 critical innings to earn his third win of the Series.
“You dream of those moments,” Smith said after the victory. “I’ll remember that for forever.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
