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Professional baseball

Dodgers Win Repeat Championship in Thrilling World Series Game 7

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a World Series for the ages that went back and forth again and again, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their ninth championship and first repeat title in 25 years, outlasting the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in a 4-hour, 7-minute thriller. Will Smith delivered the game-winning home run in the 11th inning, while Miguel Rojas became the first player to hit a tying home run in the ninth inning of a Game 7. The Dodgers used all four of their postseason starting pitchers, including Shohei Ohtani, who pitched on three days' rest after taking the loss in Game 4.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Dodgers became the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees won three in a row.
  • The Dodgers' victory marked their ninth championship and third in six years, making a strong case for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty.
  • Will Smith set a Series record by catching 73 innings, while Shohei Ohtani pitched on three days' rest after taking the loss in Game 4.
  • Miguel Rojas hit a tying home run in the ninth inning of a Game 7, only to see the Dodgers take the lead in the 11th inning.
  • The Blue Jays came within one out of their first championship since 1993, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubling leading off the 11th inning and Alejandro Kirk hitting a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts.
  • The Dodgers' win marked the seventh time a visiting team has won a World Series Game 7 after the home team had won nine in a row from 1982 to 2011.
  • The Series produced the World Series' , its , an 18-inning Game 3 featuring six outs on the bases and the , .
  • Stewart, Max (2022, November 5) from MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved from

Statistics:

  • The Dodgers' 5-4 victory marked their ninth championship in franchise history.
  • Will Smith's game-winning home run in the 11th inning was the first extra-inning homer in a winner-take-all title game in World Series history.
  • The Dodgers used all four of their postseason starting pitchers in the Series, including Ohtani, who pitched on three days' rest after taking the loss in Game 4.
  • The Blue Jays had a 4-2 lead in the Game 7, but the Dodgers scored three runs in the final five innings to take the lead.
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled leading off the 11th inning and was sacrificed to third, setting up the Dodgers' winning run.
  • The Dodgers' bullpen, led by Mookie Betts and Clayton Kershaw, combined to throw 12 innings and allow just two earned runs in the Game 7.

Sources:

  • Stewart, Max (2022, November 5) from MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved from
  • AP MLB (2025) from The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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