LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions. In a Game 7 for the ages, LA rallied in the 11th inning to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4, clinching the title in front of a delirious Dodger Stadium crowd and etching another chapter into one of baseball’s most storied franchises.
Final Score: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4
Final Score: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4The game-winning moment belonged to catcher Will Smith, who crushed a solo home run off Toronto closer Jordan Romano to lead off the 11th. The blast—a no-doubt shot into the left-field seats—sent 54,000 fans into a frenzy and sealed the Dodgers’ eighth championship in franchise history, their second straight, and the first repeat since the New York Yankees’ three-peat from 1998 to 2000.
IT'S OVER! IT'S OVER! THEY DID IT!
THE DODGERS WIN THE 2025 WORLD SERIES! pic.twitter.com/wQbPhszZsB— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 2, 2025
“This one feels different,” Smith said, drenched in champagne. “We fought through everything—injuries, comebacks, the pressure of repeating. This team never quit.”
The game was a rollercoaster from the first pitch. Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto started and dazzled, allowing just one run over six innings with eight strikeouts. But after Toronto tied it at 4-4 on George Springer’s two-run homer in the ninth, the Dodgers turned to their bullpen—and then, in a stunning move, back to Yamamoto.
In what will go down as one of the gutsiest performances in World Series history, Yamamoto returned on zero days’ rest to pitch 2.2 scoreless innings in relief. He stranded the bases loaded in the ninth and retired Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with runners in scoring position in the 10th. His effort earned him World Series MVP honors.
“I just wanted the ball,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “This is why I came to LA. To win like this.”
Toronto fought valiantly. Bo Bichette had three hits, and Alek Manoah kept the Dodgers off balance early. But the Blue Jays’ bullpen couldn’t hold the line. After tying the game in the ninth, Romano walked the leadoff man in the 11th—setting the stage for Smith’s heroics.
For manager Dave Roberts, the win was vindication after years of playoff criticism.
“We’ve been counted out before,” he said, hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy. “But this group? They believe. They execute. And now they’re immortal.”
The Dodgers’ path to the title was dominant: a 98-64 regular season, an NL West crown by 12 games, and playoff wins over the Reds (Wild Card), Phillies (NLDS), and Mets (NLCS in six). With Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and a rotation led by Yamamoto and emerging star Roki Sasaki, LA looks built for a three-peat.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
