Los Angeles Dodgers Win Back-to-Back World Series in Game 7 Against Blue Jays

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2025 World Series after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 on Saturday to make it back-to-back!

They became the first team in MLB history to win back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

Despite the Blue Jays' outhitting the Dodgers in the series, it didn't matter in the end when all it took was one swing of the bat.

Los Angeles' Will Smith hit a clutch go-ahead home run in the top of the 11th inning to take a 5-4 lead.

Then Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with runners on first and third with one out, would force Alejandro Kirk into a double play to end the game - proving the Dodgers as champions once more.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." - MLB Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver (August 14, 1930 - January 19, 2013)

Yamamoto had himself the best possible run during this postseason - 37.1 innings, 33 strikeouts, 23 hits, six earned runs (1.45 ERA), six walks, five wins, two complete games.

He started Game 6 of the World Series, ultimately losing to the Jays. But he finished Game 7 to become a champion yet again.

Yamamoto became the first pitcher in the history of the MLB to win three games on the road in a single World Series.

Now, he's the World Series MVP.

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

Relive the biggest highlights and historic moments from each inning below:

Full game recap (by innings)

1st inning

After a Shohei Ohtani double to get things started for the Dodgers in the top half of the inning, Toronto starting pitcher Max Scherzer was able to get the next three batters out, one courtesy of a great diving play by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base.

During the bottom half of the inning, Ohtani would get to work on the mound as the Dodgers' starter for the game. 

After giving up a lead-off single, Ohtani would strike out Nathan Lukes before doubling up Vladdy and George Springer on the basepaths for a double play to end the inning. 

Vladdy was wrung up on a 3-2 strikeout that he thought was a walk. Springer was caught running to second after he thought it was ball four.

Blue Jays 0-0 Dodgers

2nd inning

Scherzer made quick work of the Dodgers in the top half of the second inning, striking out Max Muncy and then forcing both Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman to fly out in a 1-2-3 inning. 

The veteran starting pitcher retired six straight batters after allowing the lead-off double to Ohtani to start the game.

In the bottom half of the inning, Ohtani would start by walking Bo Bichette and giving up a 3-2 count single to Addison Barger, leaving runners on first and second with nobody out.

He'd get two straight outs via pop-up from Alejandro Kirk and a fly-out from Daulton Varsho.

But Ernie Clement would extend his postseason hitting streak to 13 games with a single to load the bases - setting a Blue Jays franchise record. His 21 singles this postseason are also an MLB record, previously held by David Eckstein in 2002 and Marty Barrett before him in 1986.

But Ohtani would get himself out of the jam with a strikeout on Andres Gimenez - leaving the score at a pair of goose eggs. 

Blue Jays 0-0 Dodgers

3rd inning

Scherzer would make it his second-straight inning going 1-2-3. Through the first three innings, Scherzer had only thrown 28 pitches and had given up one hit - a double to Ohtani in the very first at-bat of the game. 

Scherzer has since retired nine straight batters.

But Ohtani's night would come to an end in the bottom of the third inning after giving a three-run home run to Bichette. He became the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in Game 7 of the World Series off a former MVP. 

After giving up a single to Springer to start the game, Lukes would hit a sacrifice bunt to get Springer over to second. Ohtani would throw a wild pitch with Vladdy at the plate that left Springer jogging over to third base. 

Ohtani would intentionally walk Vladdy, hoping for a double-play possibility.

But Bichette had something else in mind - clearing the bases entirely. 

Dodgers rookie Justin Wrobleski would come in for Ohtani to get out of the inning. Wrobleski hadn't given up a single run in all four games he pitched during the World Series. 

Blue Jays 3-0 Dodgers

4th inning

Scherzer would find himself in some trouble in the top half of the fourth inning. After giving up a double to Will Smith that bounced off the wall in deep left field, and a single to Freddie Freeman, he would walk Muncy to load the bases after getting Betts to pop out. 

The Dodgers would put one on the board after Teoscar Hernandez hit a sac-fly to centerfield, scoring Will Smith from third.

But Toronto centerfielder Daulton Varsho would make a diving play to get the second out before Scherzer was able to get out the top half of the inning without any further damage. 

Then came the chaotic bottom of the fourth inning...

After Wrobleski forced Clement into a groundout, the benches would clear after he hit Gimenez up and in on the wrist. 

Both benches were given a warning after the teams jawed at each other and the inning continued. 

Wrobleski would surrender a single to Springer before striking out Lukes to end his night. Tyler Glasnow would come in to make the final out of the inning after forcing Vladdy to fly out with runners on second and first.

Blue Jays 3-1 Dodgers

After Wrobleski forced Clement into a groundout, the benches would clear after he hit Gimenez up and in on the wrist. 

Both benches were given a warning after the teams jawed at each other and the inning continued. 

Wrobleski would surrender a single to Springer before striking out Lukes to end his night. Tyler Glasnow would come in to make the final out of the inning after forcing Vladdy to fly out with runners on second and first.

Blue Jays 3-1 Dodgers

5th inning

After giving up a single to Miguel Rojas and striking out Kike Hernandez, Scherzer would finish the game after 4.1 innings of work, giving up one run on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk on 54 pitches (34 strikes).

He said after the game that he doesn't plan on retiring, “I can’t see how that’s the last pitch I’ve ever thrown.”

Louie Varland would come in as the reliever, making it 15 total appearances in the postseason - the most by any pitcher in MLB Postseason history. 

After sacrificing a single to Ohtani, Varland would get out of the fifth unscathed, keeping the score intact.

Glasnow would get out of the bottom of the fifth inning without any damage done. 

Kirk hit a two-out single, and that was that for the inning. 

Blue Jays 3-1 Dodgers

6th inning

Chris Bassitt would be called on in relief for Varland to start the sixth inning. 

After walking Betts and giving up a single to Freeman, Bassitt would get Teoscar Hernandez to ground into a force out, getting Freeman out at second with runners on the corners. 

Edman would hit a sac-fly to centerfield to score Betts from third to cut the Dodgers' deficit to one run (3-2).

Kike Hernandez would hit a single, moving Teoscar over to second, before Bassitt was able to get out of the top half after forcing Miguel Rojas into a ground out. 

Clement would start the bottom half of the sixth with a no-out single off Glasnow - tying Randy Arozarena for the most hits (29) in a single postseason in MLB history.

After Clement stole second base, Gimenez would bring him home on an RBI double sent in the gap to right centerfield (4-2).

Gimenez would also make history after becoming the first player ever to hit at least 12 RBI in a single postseason from the bottom two slots in the lineup.

Gimenez ended the postseason going 8-for-19 (.421) with runners in scoring position.

Glasnow would get out of the inning after striking out Springer, forcing Lukes to line out to third, and getting Vladdy to ground out to third.

Blue Jays 4-2 Dodgers

7th inning

Blue Jays rookie starting pitcher sensation Trey Yesavage would come in for Bassitt to start the top of the seventh inning. 

After a lead-off walk to Ohtani, the rookie would force Smith to fly out before getting Freeman to ground into a 3-6-3 double play to end the top half of the inning. 

Emmet Sheehan would enter the game in relief for Glasnow to start the bottom half of the inning. 

After striking out Bichette, Sheehan would go on to force Barger into a groundout. Kirk would get his second single of the game. But Sheehan would get out of the inning after striking out Varsho. 

Blue Jays 4-2 Dodgers

8th inning

Yesavage would start off the inning by forcing Betts into a groundout to Gimenez at shortstop.

But right afterwards, Los Angeles' Max Muncy would launch a solo home run to deep right field to bring the Dodgers back within one run (4-3). 

Yesavage's night would officially end just a batter later after he forced Teoscar Hernandez to ground out to Bichette at second.

Blue Jays regular-season closer Jeff Hoffman would get the call out to the bullpen to finish out the inning without any extra damage to put the Blue Jays at more outs until they tasted glory.

Ernie Clement would earn his 30th hit of the postseason with a no-out double - setting a new MLB Postseason record after tying Arozarena's 29 earlier in the game.

The Dodgers would bring in Blake Snell for Sheehan after Clement's double and would get out of the inning without sacrificing a run. 

Blue Jays 4-3 Dodgers

9th inning

After striking out Kike Hernandez to start the inning, Hoffman would give up a solo home run to Miguel Rojas to tie the game 4-4.

Hoffman would later get out of the inning, but not until after the damage had already been done.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bichette would get on base with a single after Vladdy came up just short of hitting a home run to straight centerfield.

The Dodgers would bring in Yamamoto for Snell, but after loading the bases, Yamamoto would get out of the jam on a bang-bang play at home plate, then a fantastic play in center field by Andy Pages!

Blue Jays 4-4 Dodgers

10th inning

Seranthony Dominguez would be subbed in for Hoffman to start the 10th inning. 

He would go on to force Freeman to fly out to get the first out of the way. But he would load the bases after walking Betts, giving up a single to Muncy, then another walk to Teoscar with just one out - sending a massive shot of adrenaline in baseball fans everywhere.

Pages, who made the game-saving play in the bottom of the ninth, would ground out. But the Blue Jays made the force out at home to keep the tie alive - two outs with bases loaded.

Up comes Kike Hernandez. But Dominguez would get him out on a bang-bang play at first to end the top of the inning

Making it back-to-back bases-loaded half-innings that didn't see a run score.

Yamamoto would finish with a 1-2-3 to end the bottom of the 10th, keeping the score 4-4.

11th inning

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, their season came to a brutal end when Shane Bieber gave up a solo home run to Will Smith as the Dodgers got out to a 5-4 lead. 

After the Blue Jays put runners on the corners with one out, Alejandro Kirk grounded into a double play to officially end the 2025 MLB season.