In a winner-take-all Game 7 for the ages, the Los Angeles Dodgers bested the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in an 11-inning classic in the early morning hours Sunday to become back-to-back World Series champions.
Down 4-3 with one out at the top of the ninth inning, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas hit a solo home run to tie it up at four runs apiece and send the game into extra innings.
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Then, at the top of the 11th inning, Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a solo home run to seal the extraordinary comeback victory.Â
The Dodgers became the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and in the process denied the Blue Jays their first title since 1993.
The Dodgers were down 3-2 in the series, rallying back and winning the final two games in Toronto to quiet a stunned home crowd. Â
L.A. overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.
He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk grounded to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play.
With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.
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Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.
L.A. closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.
Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.
Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.
Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.
He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.
Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.
Seranthony DomÃnguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony DomÃnguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.
The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.
The game was expectantly tense, with both benches and bullpens clearing after Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski hit Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez on the right hand with a pitch in the fourth inning.
After the players returned to their benches and bullpens, the umpires huddled briefly before crew chief Mark Wegner issued a warning to both dugouts.
Ohtani started the game, but was pulled off the mound after allowing Bo Bichette’s three-run homer in the third inning. Pitching on three days of rest, Ohtani was up to 100.9 mph with his fastball but appeared to run out of steam in the third.
Ohtani allowed three runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings before he was replaced by left-hander Justin Wrobleski. Ohtani walked two and struck out three.
Earlier, Ohtani became the first pitcher to get a hit in a World Series Game 7 since Jesse Orosco of the New York Mets in 1986.
He singled to center off Toronto’s Max Scherzer to begin the game, moved to second on a ground ball and advanced to third on a fly ball but was left stranded when Mookie Betts grounded out.
