World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays

Dodgers for the Win!//Looking down at the field, Rogers Centre prepares for the amazing games that lie ahead. In game 7 of one of the most intense World Series championships of all time, the Los Angeles Dodgers bring home the trophy. (Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons)

The LA Dodgers secured back-to-back World Series victories, a milestone they haven't reached in 25 years. Many players from both the Dodgers and the Blue Jays made records during this intense series. Starting off with game 1, the final score was 11-4, Blue Jays. Addison Barger hit a grand slam in the sixth inning, and there were a total of nine runs in that inning. The Dodgers’ starting pitcher, Blake Snell, was pulled out and replaced twice with two bullpen pitchers, because the Blue Jays were on fire.

Heading into the second game of the series, starting for the Dodgers was Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He ended up pitching a complete game and, impressively,  only allowed one run for the Blue Jays. Yamamoto struck out a shocking number of 8 of the Blue Jays players. Will Smith for the L.A. Dodgers hit a three-run homer, leading the Dodgers and Blue Jays to tie the series 1-1.

One of the wildest and unusual games of this series was the third. The Dodgers and Blue Jays continued to go back and forth. The game was a total of 6 hours and 39 minutes. It went into 18 innings, which is double the number of innings a normal game would have. Shohei Ohtani had a great performance, reaching base nine times, including two home runs and two doubles. In the bottom of the eighteenth inning, Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run to win the game. This was a huge win for the Dodgers and was encouraging.

After that long game, the Dodgers lost their lead to the Blue Jays 6-2, tying the two teams. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the Blue Jays hit a two-run homer that was important for their lead coming into this game. The Dodgers were struggling on offense, and the Blue Jays were going strong after the emotional and physical night they had before. The best word to describe the Blue Jays in this game was resilient. This game took place at Dodger Stadium, although this win ensured that the teams would be flying back to Toronto to play at Rogers Centre.

In the fifth game of the World Series, the Blue Jays won again, defeating Los Angeles 6-1. This made them only one game away from winning the entire series. Rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage had an amazing performance, pitching seven innings only allowing a single run. Starting off the game strong, Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero hit back-to-back home runs. The Dodgers struggled yet again, making a comeback seem nearly impossible. Their offense was largely shut down by 12 total strikeouts.

Looking bad for the Dodgers, the two playoff teams head into the sixth game, and possibly the last, of the World Series. From the beginning, everybody knew this game would be very emotional and dramatic. With all of the players becoming more desperate, this game would determine it all. Kevin Gausman was starting for the Blue Jays, hoping to take the Blue Jays home to victory. Will Smith started it off in the third inning and hit an RBI (run batted in), sending his teammate, Tommy Edman, home. George Springer tied it up 1-1, making the Dodgers lose their lead. Mookie Betts saved the day with his two-run single. This benefited the Dodgers extremely as they ended up winning, 3-1. Now, either team could win this series, making the pressure more and more intense.

Whenever a World Series goes to the seventh game, you can count on it to be memorable. There have been 41 World Series game sevens out of 121, in which the Dodgers have participated in 8 and the Blue Jays in only 2. This eleven-inning thriller of a game had all of us on the edge of our seats. Shohei Ohtani was the starter, and in the bottom of the third inning, Bo Bichette from the Blue Jays scored his first postseason three-run homer, making things not look so great for the Dodgers. The Dodgers were able to pull together two more runs, still down 2-3. The Blue Jays led 4-2 and got a double play in the sixth inning. Max Muncy, in the top of the eighth, hit a critical single homer. In the top of the ninth, the Dodgers were still down a run, and Miguel Rojas was up to bat. He was not supposed to play in this series, as the Dodgers manager decided to take him out of the lineup. There is one out, and the Dodgers are now relying on Ohtani, who will hit after Rojas. Shockingly, Miguel Rojas hit a deep home run into left field, shocking the crowd and allowing the Dodgers to go into extra innings.

In the tenth inning, Yamamoto is pitching after already throwing 96 pitches the night before. The Dodgers are at a disadvantage as they are playing in Toronto, Canada, and nearly no Dodgers fans are in the stands. The bases are loaded, and the Blue Jays get a hit, and Rojas was just barely able to throw it to home to catcher Will Smith just in time to get the runner out, ending the top of the ninth. Yamamoto was able to shut them down again in the ninth. Will Smith hit a home run to allow the Dodgers to lead for the first time, making the score 5-4. Alejandro Kirk, an amazing home run batter, hits a ball, getting the Toronto fans on their feet. Finally, a dramatic double play ends the World Series, shocking everyone turning the tide for the Dodgers. The Dodgers were so close to losing multiple times in this series, but especially this game, making this series all the more special.

The 2025 World Series will be remembered by many. Records were broken, and players reached new heights, proving this is where they were meant to be. This series was the ultimate test to see which team wanted it more. The Dodgers took home the trophy with honor. Not only did they win back-to-back championships, but they also showed everyone what unity they had as a team to be able to work together to make this happen. The MLB 2025 World Series Championship will forever be etched into history.