TORONTO–The Los Angeles Dodgers clawed their way back in Game 7 to repeat as World Series champions, winning 5-4 in 11 thrilling innings over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on Saturday, November 1.
The Dodgers became the first repeat champions in a quarter century, and clinching it took everything they had.
Miguel Rojas became an overnight World Series hero-stepping up to the plate in the ninth inning with the Dodgers trailing 4-3 cranked a tying home run off Jeff Hoffman.
He saved the game with a stellar defensive play in the bottom half, remarkable for a guy who barely played before Game 6.
Will Smith hit the WS game winning home run in the top of the 11th inning, a soaring blast over the left field wall. This victory was a whole team effort, handling the pressure of being the favorite since Spring Training
“You dream of those moments, you know, extra innings, put your team ahead — I’ll remember that forever,” Smith said after the game.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was named the World Series MVP, it was Yamamoto, completing one of the gutsiest pitching performances in baseball history: Winning Games 2 and 6 as a starter, then pitching 2 ⅔ innings of scoreless relief on zero days rest to win Game 7.
These final two games cemented the Dodger Dynasty. Winning consecutive games on the road becoming the first baseball team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.
The Dodgers trailed 4-2 in the 8th inning
It is the organizations 9th World Series, third in the last six years. It was one of the best World Series games ever played.
Both teams fought valiantly for seven nail biting games. It feels euphoric for every Dodger fan.
There were dozens of memorable moments in this classic game, but the one that saved the Dodgers in the bottom of the 9th.
Andy Pages — who’d been benched due to lack of production in the postseason — made a game-saving catch in center field that prevented a Blue Jays walk-off in the bottom of the ninth.
The Dodgers were down 3-2 in the series, rallying back and winning the final two games in Toronto to quiet a stunned home crowd.
The Blue Jays had runners on the corners with one out with Alejandro Kirk due up. Yamamoto fired an 0-2 splitter, and Kirk broke his bat, hitting a grounder to shortstop. Mookie Betts stepped on second and fired to first to win it all.
The finale was baseball at its best, two evenly matched teams going the distance in the Series and in Game 7 itself to determine a champion.
The World Series parade will be on Monday.
The Dodgers are World Series champs once again. Pushed to the limit time after time, the Boys in Blue rallied in Toronto. Inspiring everyone in the City of Angels.
