The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays delivered a generational World Series. Game three turned into a six-hour, 39-minute marathon before Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run in the 18th inning, giving the Dodgers a 6-5 victory and a 2-1 series lead.
“This one took a little longer, but this game was incredible. Our bullpen was absolutely incredible. That’s as good as it gets,” said Freeman, according to MLB.com.
Ohtani continued his historic postseason, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two home runs and multiple intentional walks. He was used at the end of the game, showing just how dangerous he has been on the mound.
“What matters the most is we won, and what I accomplished today is in the context of this game. What matters the most is we flip the page and play the next game,” said Ohtani through a translator, according to MLB.com.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a huge impact, delivering clutch hits and key defensive plays. In the seventh inning, he scored the go-ahead run, and his perfect throw from third base prevented a Dodgers rally.
Blue Jays outfielder George Springer went out that game with his right side feeling discomfort after he swung in the seventh inning.
“He’s a huge part of our lineup,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after George Springer left the game with an injury, according to MLB.com.
The Dodgers used all nine relievers to cover 12-plus innings, showing their depth and stamina. Clayton Kershaw even entered in the 12th inning to escape a bases-loaded jam, thrilling fans and adding to the drama. The World Series has always been baseball’s ultimate stage, and 2025 is living up to that legacy.
“We’ve reached the final and biggest stage of the MLB calendar. The stakes are at their highest, the lights are at their brightest and the chill of the autumn is in the air,” MLB reporter Manny Randhawa noted on MLB.com before the series began.
Game four brought a dramatic shift in momentum, with Toronto’s offense surging past Los Angeles. Ohtani made his first World Series start, striking out six over six-plus innings but allowing four runs, including a two-run homer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
“We’re facing quality arms this time of the year against really good teams, and we’re facing the best of the best,” said Ohtani through interpreter Will Ireton, according to MLB.com.
Shane Bieber tamed the Dodgers’ offense, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks over five and one-third innings with three strikeouts. Andrés Giménez delivered a clutch RBI single in the seventh inning, sparking a four-run inning that gave Toronto a 6-2 victory and evened the World Series at two games apiece.
“Seeing more and more pitchers gave me more confidence. That’s our job, and thankfully I was able to get it done,” said Giménez, according to MLB.com.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also helped power the Blue Jays’ rally, and the team’s bottom-of-the-order hitters contributed key RBIs to cement the win. The series now heads to Toronto with everything tied, setting up a pivotal Game five where every pitch and swing could decide the championship.
Game five saw rookie Trey Yesavage deliver a historic performance, leading Toronto to a 6-1 victory and a 3-2 series lead. Yesavage struck out 12 over seven innings, using his slider and split-finger pitches to completely dominate the Dodgers’ lineup.
“This stage… his numbers… tons of wrong and miss. Kinda blown away by what he did,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider of Yesavage’s performance, according to the NY Times.
The Blue Jays also made history by hitting back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of the game, with Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blasting the Dodgers’ starter, Blake Snell. Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, was left reeling as Toronto capitalized on both early and late scoring opportunities.
Dodgers stars struggled at the plate. Mookie Betts went 0 for 4, Freeman struck out three times, and the top four hitters combined to go 1 for 15 with eight strikeouts. Despite the effort from Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles could not respond, leaving Yesavage and Toronto on the brink of a championship.
The series now heads to Toronto for Game six, where the Blue Jays can clinch their first World Series title since 1993, while the Dodgers must win consecutive elimination games to defend their crown. Every pitch, swing, and defensive play promises to be critical.
Game six brought the Dodgers back to life as they fought to stay alive in the Series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the mound and delivered a clutch performance, striking out six over seven innings while holding the Blue Jays to just one run. His command and control under pressure gave Los Angeles exactly what they needed.
“I just wanted to give my team a chance to play one more day,” Yamamoto said postgame, according to MLB.com.
But the defining moment came in the bottom of the ninth. With two men in scoring position and the Blue Jays down by two, Andrés Gimenéz lifted a broken-bat flare into shallow left. Kiké Hernández charged hard, made a running catch, and threw to second to double off Addison Barger, sealing a 3-1 Dodgers victory.
“Stay up in the air,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recalled thinking as the ball floated toward left field, according to MLB.com.
It did, just long enough for Hernández to make one of the most dramatic plays in recent World Series history.
“Pretty epic ending,” said shortstop Miguel Rojas, according to MLB.com.
The Dodgers celebrated on the field as Rogers Centre fell silent. After a brief replay review confirmed the double play, Los Angeles forced a decisive Game seven.
The last game delivered everything a Fall Classic should. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays staged a dramatic showdown at Rogers Centre that will be remembered for a long time. The Dodgers emerged victorious, 5-4 in 11 innings, clinching their second consecutive World Series title.
Toronto struck first. In the third inning, Bo Bichette, battling through a sprained knee, belted a three-run homer off Ohtani that gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead and got the Rogers Centre crowd roaring.
Los Angeles clawed back via sacrifice flies and drew closer, 4-2, after Toronto stretched the lead in the sixth. In the eighth, Max Muncy launched a solo shot to make it 4-3. Then in the ninth, in one of the most improbable moments of the series, Rojas hit a solo homer to tie the game at 4-4.
Extra innings followed. In the 11th, with two outs, catcher Will Smith crushed a home run to left field off Bieber, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night at 5-4. Then the Blue Jays had a runner at third and first, but the Dodgers turned a game-ending double play off a grounder by Alejandro Kirk to seal it.
And through it all, the hero for Los Angeles was Yamamoto. He pitched in relief after throwing 96 pitches the night before. In Game seven, he worked the final two and two-thirds innings, preserving the win and earning World Series MVP honours.
For the Dodgers, becoming back-to-back champions is a huge statement, as they are the first team in a quarter-century to do it. For the Blue Jays, the heartbreak is real: they were a win away and yet couldn’t finish the deal.
