The Commissioner's Trophy will stay in Los Angeles. The Dodgers came back to beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 at Rogers Centre on Friday night (LA 5, TOR 4 in 11 innings) to clinch the 2025 World Series championship. It is their second straight title and third in the last six years. They are baseball's first repeat champions since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees.
Here are the final two outs of Game 7:
Miguel Rojas' ninth-inning solo homer tied the game and Will Smith's 11th-inning solo homer gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game. Yoshinobu Yamamoto came out of the bullpen the day after starting Game 6 and recorded the final eight outs to earn the win. A truly legendary performance for Yamamoto, it was.
The Blue Jays failed in their quest to win the third World Series title in franchise history and their first since their back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993.
Here are seven takeaways from the final game of the 2025 MLB season, plus a quick look ahead at what's next.
What Yamamoto did in this World Series is simply remarkable. He threw a one-run complete game in Game 2. In Game 3, Yamamoto warmed up in the 18th inning and was going to pitch the 19th had the game continued. Yamamoto then threw six innings of one-run game with the season on the line in the Game 6 win. That alone made him World Series MVP-worthy.
Yamamoto saved his best for last. One day after throwing 95 pitches in Game 6, Yamamoto came out of the bullpen in Game 7 and recorded the final eight outs. He entered with runners on first and second and one outs in the ninth, escaped that jam, then threw scoreless 10th and 11th innings. Yamamoto threw 34 pitches on zero days' rest. Just incredible.
All told, Yamamoto pitched to a 1.02 ERA in the World Series -- that's two earned runs in 17 ⅔ innings -- across two starts and one relief appearances. His 17 ⅔ innings are the most by any pitcher in any postseason round since Madison Bumgarner's 21 innings in the 2014 World Series. Not surprisingly, Yamamoto was named World Series MVP.
There's a chance Game 7 was Bo Bichette's final game as a Blue Jay. If it was, the free agent-to-be went out with a memorable swing, even if it came in a loss. Bichette opened the scoring in Game 7 with a titanic three-run home run in the third inning, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead. Shohei Ohtani hung a breaking ball and Bichette parked it in the second deck:
That rally started with a George Springer leadoff single -- the Blue Jays put the leadoff man on base in each of the first three innings -- and continued with a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. intentional walk. Sandwiched in between was a Nathan Lukes sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch to move Springer to third. Bichette did what you're supposed to do after an intentional walk: make them pay.
Bichette played through a knee injury suffered in a collision at home plate in early September and it was easy to tell by the way he's running, but not so easy to tell by the way he swung the bat. He was 6 for 19 (.316) with three walks and three strikeouts going into Game 7, then he had the three-run homer in Game 7. A franchise legend forever, even if he leaves as a free agent this winter.
Pitching on only two days of rest, it was clear right away Shohei Ohtani was not himself on the mound. He sprayed the ball all over the place in the first and second innings, and he escaped the second inning scoreless only because Bichette's knee injury had him running at maybe 70%. Bichette couldn't score from second on Ernie Clement's two-out single and Ohtani escaped the jam.
Ohtani threw 43 pitches in the first two innings. He was wild and he also took a ton of time between innings. The rules allow the umpire to give the pitcher extra warm up time if he ends the previous inning on base, at the plate, or on deck, which Ohtani did in the first and third innings. Ohtani looked to be taking advantage of the rule though. He spent a long, long time in the dugout between innings.
Despite all the red flags, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent Ohtani back out for the third inning and it backfired horribly. He retired only one of four batters he faced and that one was a sac bunt. Rather than take two scoreless innings and run, the Dodgers got greedy and tried to squeeze a third inning out of Ohtani. It nearly cost them the game and the World Series.
Ohtani was charged with three runs on five hits and two walks in 2 ⅓ innings in Game 7. The Blue Jays tagged him for seven runs in 8 ⅓ innings in his two World Series starts.
Miguel Rojas, inserted into the Game 6 lineup because Roberts said he had a good feeling about him, hit one home run off a right-handed pitcher during the regular season, and that one came off a position player. Again in the lineup in Game 7, Rojas provided one of the most improbable home runs in baseball history, a game-tying solo hot in the ninth. To the action footage:
That is the second game-tying or go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of a World Series Game 7 in baseball history. The other? Bill Mazeroski's legendary walk-off home run in 1960. Rojas, the utility infielder who doesn't hit homers (especially against righties), hit a game-tying ninth inning home run in Game 7 of the World Series. What a ridiculous sport.
A half-inning later, Rojas played the hero again, this time with a stumbling snag at second base and throwing home for the force out. Replay confirmed Will Smith got his foot down on the plate in time for the out. This was nearly the World Series winning run:
For all their star power, the Dodgers don't win the World Series without Rojas, their veteran utility infielder who started just two postseason games prior to Game 6. He was about as unlikely a hero as you'll find in the World Series.
That marks six straight World Series championships for a Will Smith. Will Smith the catcher won the 2020 World Series. Will Smith the lefty reliever won the 2021, 2022, and 2023 World Series. Will Smith the catcher won the 2024 and 2025 World Series. Will Smith the catcher provided the game-winning run with an 11th inning solo homer in Game 7 on Friday:
Smith caught every inning of the World Series. All 73 of them. Like everyone else on the Dodgers, Smith struggled badly at the plate at times during the World Series, but he rallied late to make an impact. He never took an inning off behind the plate and won Game 7 with an 11th-inning homer. That man has earned a nice, long vacation this offseason.
Blue Jays setup man Louie Varland certainly earned his postseason share this month. Varland got two outs in Game 7, which marked his 15th appearance in 18 Blue Jays postseason games. Those 15 appearances are the most ever in a single postseason. Here is the single-postseason leaderboard:
Between the regular season (which he began with the Twins prior to the deadline trade) and postseason, Varland threw 88 ⅔ innings across 89 appearances. It is the most combined regular-season/postseason appearances since Jason Motte made 90 appearances with the 2011 World Series champion Cardinals.
Varland's 15 postseason appearances were pretty darn good too: 3.94 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 16 innings. That alone makes the trade a smashing success. The fact that Toronto has Varland under team control through 2030 is icing on the cake.
In other postseason record news, Ernie Clement went 3 for 5 in Game 7 and finished the postseason with 30 hits, the most all-time. The previous record was Randy Arozarena's 29 hits in 2020.
To add to the chaos, the benches cleared during Game 7 of the World Series. Specifically, Andrés Giménez jawed at lefty Justin Wrobleski after taking a fastball to the hand in the fourth inning. It was the third up-and-in fastball of the at-bat. The two barked at each other, then both benches and both bullpens cleared.
Cooler heads quickly prevailed -- there were no punches or shoves or anything like that, just jawing -- and the two teams got back to baseball. Here is the hit-by-pitch and the benches clearing:
Obviously Wrobleski did not hit Giménez intentionally. It's Game 7 of the World Series, the Dodgers were down two runs, and that's the No. 9 hitter. Wrobleski wasn't putting a runner on base for the top of the lineup. At the same time, I understand why Giménez was upset. Three times that at-bat he had a pitch come up and in. No one will be happy about that.
Both benches were warned after the benches cleared, which surprised me. It was unintentional and you don't have to worry about a beanball war breaking out in Game 7 of the World Series. Seemed like an overreaction by the umpires. Ultimately, it didn't matter. There were no issues after that little fourth-inning fracas.
A parade for the Dodgers and a long, cold offseason for everyone else. The next meaningful pitch will be thrown when the World Baseball Classic begins in early March. As for the offseason, trading resumes Sunday and free agency opens Thursday. Give it a few days and the hot stove action will begin in earnest.
Who will win World Series MVP? It seems likely it will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers starter closed things out on Saturday. He got the final eight outs for the Dodgers -- more than any other L.A. pitcher in Game 7. They were 2 ⅔ scoreless innings from Yamamoto ... who just so happened to start Game 2, throwing six innings Friday night.
Catcher Will Smith told Fox after the game that Yamamoto, who also threw a complete game in Game 2, should be the World Series MVP. It's hard to argue.
A tense and unforgettable World Series Game 7 on Saturday culminated in a 5-4 Los Angeles Dodgers win over the Toronto Blue Jays in 11 innings.
The go-ahead run came on a Will Smith home run off Shane Bieber:
The win means the Dodgers are MLB's first back-to-back World Series champions since the 1999-2000 New York Yankees. For the Blue Jays, they came up one win short of their third title in franchise history.
The Blue Jays went up early with a three-run homer from Bo Bichette in the third inning. Bichette's blast came on a still-hobbled knee and at the expense of Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani, who was starting on three-days' rest and of course also leading off and DHing. Ohtani permitted three runs in 2 ⅓ innings, while his counterpart -- 41-year-old Max Scherzer -- permitted one Dodger run in 4 ⅓ innings.
The Dodgers clawed back with a pair of sacrifice flies, but Andrés Giménez gave the Jays a cushion with an RBI double in the sixth. Max Muncy made it a one-run affair with his solo home run in the eighth. Toronto looked poised to close it out, but closer Jeff Hoffman surrendered a game-tying home run in the ninth to Miguel Rojas.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Dodgers narrowly avoided defeat not once but twice thanks to a 4-2 putout at the plate and a tough, ranging catch by defensive sub Andy Pages in center to end the inning.
Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitching on back-to-back days, put up zeroes for the final 2 ⅓ innings to secure the win and put a capstone on a brilliant World Series performance.
Vlad Jr. leads off the 11th with a double to left and Kiner-Falefa bunts him to third. The tying run is 90 feet away with one out.
Will Smith has caught every inning of this World Series. His legs have to be mush.
It's 5-4 in the 11th after Will Smith launched this home run off Shane Bieber:
The Dodgers are now three outs from repeating as champions.
Shane Bieber is in for Toronto. He might be the last pitcher they use tonight.
What Yamamoto is doing is just insane. A 1-2-3 inning against the 9-1-2 hitters. Because of the pinch-runner moves, Vlad Jr. now has Myles Straw hitting in front of him and Isiah Kiner-Falefa hitting behind him. That ain't great. The Blue Jays ran into that same problem in Game 3.
Springer's swings look better tonight. He's not grimacing after every little movement like last night. The trainers must've given him the good stuff before the game.
The Blue Jays escape with two infield grounders. Barely.
Enrique Hernández hits a weaker tapper to first base and Seranthony Domínguez beats him to first base by about half-a-step. It's 4-4 going to the bottom of the tenth.
Also, these guys gotta stop sliding into home on force plays. Run through the plate. You'll get there faster.
Pages hits a walk grounder to short and Andrés Giménez throws home for the force out. The infield in has worked for both teams these last two innings.
He is 4 for 50 in the postseason.
Teoscar walks and the bases are full of Dodgers for Andy Pages.
Mookie walks, Muncy singles. The Dodgers have runners on first and second with one out for former Blue Jay Teoscar Hernández.
Seranthony Domínguez, who's been warming for about seven innings, is in the game in the tenth.
Ernie Clement hit a long fly ball into the left-center field gap, and defensive replacement Andy Pages ran over Enrique Hernández to make the catch. He had the better angle on the ball and did what had to be done to make the catch. What a chaotic game.
Miguel Rojas cuts the runner down at the plate on Daulton Varsho's ground ball. Will Smith's foot came off the plate for a moment, but he got it back down in time for the force out. Replay confirmed it. Now Clement is up.
Alejandro Kirk takes a pitch to load the bases with one out. It's Daulton Varsho time. (Just gonna say that a walk-off walk, hit-by-pitch, or sac fly would be pretty lame. Do something cool, Daulton.)
Kirk was hit by a pitch. Here comes Daulton Varsho with a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
Yamamoto's first pitch is a 93 mph splitter. lol.
Yamamoto threw six innings last night. There are runners on first and second with one out for Alejandro Kirk.
Addison Barger worked a walk against Snell to put the World Series winning run at second base with one out. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, yesterday's starter, is coming in to pitch.
Bichette singles and Kiner-Falefa is in to run.
Bichette singles with one out and is removed for a pinch-runner. Was that his final game as a Blue Jays? He'll be a free agent this offseason. It's 4-4 with one out in the bottom of the ninth.
The Rojas homer had major Rajai Davis vibes. The only question is if the Dodgers can win this, unlike Rajai's team in 2016.
Of note: Vlad Jr. will lead off the bottom of the ninth for Toronto.
Miguel Rojas hits a game-tying home run off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman with one out in the ninth.
This became only the second ever game-tying or game-winning home run in the ninth inning or later in a Game 7 in World Series history. The other? Bill Mazeroski's walk-off homer against the mighty Yankees in the 1960 Fall Classic.
Rojas was 3 for 13 in the playoffs so far. He wasn't in the game for his bat. He was in for defense. This was only his second career postseason home run. He only hit seven home runs in 317 plate appearances in the regular season. He had only hit one home run against a right-hander all season and that was against a position player.
Hoffman was able to get a flyout from Shohei Ohtani and a strikeout of Will Smith to send this thing tied to the bottom of the ninth.
Reminder: The last time the Blue Jays won the World Series came on a walk-off home run in this building.
Blake Snell strands the leadoff double. Jeff Hoffman will try to protect a one-run lead against the 8-9-1 hitters (the 1 being Ohtani).
