The Los Angeles Dodgers captured their second consecutive World Series championship with a 5–4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in an 11-inning Game 7 marked by shifting momentum, dramatic swings, and historic moments. Sportsbooks entered the night listing the Dodgers as slight favorites, commonly around –125 on the moneyline, with Toronto positioned near +110, reflecting the expectation of a tightly contested finale. The game lived up to those predictions, delivering one of the most eventful winner-take-all matchups in recent memory.
Toronto took early control when Bo Bichette launched a three-run home run in the third inning off Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on short rest after taking the loss in Game 4. The Blue Jays added to their advantage later in the sixth when Andrés Giménez drove in another run, reinforcing a lead that had been threatened but not erased by Los Angeles’ small-ball approach, which produced sacrifice flies in the fourth and sixth innings.
The Dodgers remained within striking distance and continued to chip away until Max Muncy connected for a solo home run in the eighth inning against rookie Trey Yesavage. Toronto still held a 4–3 lead entering the ninth and was two outs from securing its first championship since 1993. That margin disappeared when Miguel Rojas, added to the lineup in Game 6 to provide a spark, delivered a full-count home run off reliever Jeff Hoffman. The blast stunned the crowd of more than forty-four thousand fans and marked his first homer in more than a month.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was named World Series Most Valuable Player, had pitched heavily the previous night but returned for another extended stint. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and continued to navigate pressure in the tenth as Toronto stranded multiple runners. His postseason performance, which concluded with a 5–1 record and a 1.45 ERA, highlighted his value in crucial situations throughout October.
Will Smith then delivered the decisive swing at the top of the eleventh. Facing Shane Bieber, who had been moved into a relief role for the first time in years, Smith drilled a 2-0 slider into the left-field bullpen to give the Dodgers their first lead of the game. The home run marked the first time in World Series history that an extra-inning homer had been hit in a winner-take-all contest. Smith, who also hit a key home run in Game 2, set a World Series record by catching seventy-three innings over the course of the series.
Toronto attempted to mount a final rally in the bottom of the inning. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice. A walk to Addison Barger brought the winning run to first base. The comeback effort ended when Alejandro Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder that shortstop Mookie Betts turned into a game-ending double play. It was only the second time a World Series had concluded with a double play in Game 7.
The championship marked the Dodgers’ ninth in franchise history and their third in the past six seasons. Their repeat title made them the first team since the New York Yankees’ run from 1998 to 2000 to win consecutive championships and the first National League club to do so since Cincinnati achieved the feat in the 1970s. The triumph further fueled conversations about whether Los Angeles has established a modern dynasty, a notion manager Dave Roberts acknowledged by noting that others would ultimately determine that legacy.
Toronto’s postseason run concluded with frustration after coming within inches of a championship on several occasions during the final innings. Emotional scenes followed the final out as players processed how narrowly the series had slipped away. Even amid the disappointment, the Blue Jays delivered a competitive and resilient performance throughout the series, consistently challenging a Dodgers roster valued at over $500 million.
As celebrations unfolded on the field, players such as Freddie Freeman were already thinking ahead. With the opportunity to pursue a third straight championship next season, the Dodgers now turn their attention to extending a historic era that continues to reshape expectations across Major League Baseball.