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Dodgers secure ninth World Series title in extra-inning thriller
The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team in 25 years to win consecutive World Series championships, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in a tense Game 7 that extended into the 11th inning on Sunday. Catcher Will Smith's decisive home run in extra innings sealed the victory, capping a dramatic comeback from a three-run deficit.
Historic achievement under Roberts
This marks the Dodgers' ninth World Series title overall and their third in six years under manager Dave Roberts. The last franchise to achieve back-to-back victories was the New York Yankees, who triumphed in three straight Fall Classics from 1998 to 2000.
The Dodgers' path to victory was far from smooth. Toronto's Bo Bichette had given the Blue Jays an early 3-0 lead with a third-inning three-run homer, but Los Angeles clawed back with solo shots from Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas in the ninth, forcing extra innings.
A game of momentum swings
Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani started on the mound for the Dodgers but struggled early, exiting after Bichette's homer. Under MLB's 2022 'Ohtani rule,' he remained in the game as a designated hitter. The Dodgers narrowed the gap in the fourth when Teoscar Hernández's sacrifice fly scored Smith, but Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made a spectacular diving catch to limit further damage.
Tensions flared in the fourth after Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski hit Toronto's Andrés Giménez with a pitch, prompting both benches to clear. Umpires issued warnings to prevent further retaliation.
Late-game heroics and missed opportunities
Toronto's veteran starter Max Scherzer, the oldest pitcher to start a Game 7 at 41, left in the fifth with the Blue Jays still leading. The Dodgers rallied in the sixth, with Tommy Edman's sacrifice fly cutting the deficit to one. Toronto responded in the seventh when Giménez's double scored Ernie Clement, who had stolen second.
Both teams squandered chances with the bases loaded in the ninth and tenth innings. Smith's 11th-inning homer-his second of the series-finally broke the deadlock, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers' Game 2 and 6 winner, closed it out to earn MVP honors.
Series recap
The Blue Jays had dominated early, winning Games 1, 4, and 5, but the Dodgers stormed back with victories in Games 2, 3, 6, and the decisive Game 7. The series unfolded amid heightened political tensions between the U.S. and Canada following Donald Trump's re-election.
"This team never quits. Down three runs, down to our last outs-we found a way."
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
