Dodgers win seven-game masterpiece
By Nick Martinez, November 18, 2025
Back-to-back champions, an 18th inning walk-off, statement performances by stars and up-and-comers and a legendary extra innings game seven, the Dodgers’ 2025 triumph over the Blue Jays was one of, if not the greatest, World Series of all time.
The Cubs and Cleveland’s epic game seven in 2016, Max Muncy’s walk-off ending an 18th inning marathon in 2018, Madison Bumgarner powering the Giants with lights-out pitching in 2014, and David Freese sending the Cardinals to game seven in 2011 with his own walk-off have all been moments replayed in highlight reels seemingly forever, but this year’s World Series had all those moments and more in the same series.
Beginning with game two in Toronto, where the Dodgers were still reeling from the 11-4 defeat the night prior, losing hope of a sweep, starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the moundpitched the Dodgers to victory in the first World Series complete game since 2015.
In the series prior, Yamamoto pitched a complete game against the Brewers, a postseason rarity, and before the game, former New York Yankee turned analyst Derek Jeter echoed the sentiment many Blue Jays fans on social media said: There’s no way he does it again.
But he did, as the Japanese superstar pitched yet another complete game, allowing just one run and quieting both Blue Jays’ bats and the Rogers Centre crowd, and becoming the first pitcher since 2001 to throw back-to-back postseason complete games.
The series flipped back to Los Angeles, dead-even with the winner of the game looking to take command in the series; however, the game turned into a marathon.
Nearly two-games worth of baseball were across 18 innings including former MVP Shohei Ohtani hitting two home runs and reaching base a record nine times and reliever Will Klein pitching four scoreless extra innings in his longest career outing.
The night was ended with just a single swing of the bat by Freddie Freeman, as he sent the LA fans home happy and all fans at home to sleep with a walk-off home run, becoming the first player to hit multiple World Series walk-off homers.
Now fast-forward to the crown jewel of the series: game seven.
The Blue Jays had been stunned in game six, losing on a baserunning error double play after being just a game away from the series victory. But Bo Bichette launched an Ohtani off-speed pitch into the frenzied Toronto crowd, leaving them just innings away from their first title in more than 30 years with a 3-0 lead.
The Dodgers saw themselves just two outs from their back-to-back title hopes being dashed, until infielder Miguel Rojas, who had only been inserted to play games six and seven, left Jays fans silent and Dodgers fans roaring with a home run to knot the game 4-4 in the top of the ninth with one out.
But the Jays, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and nearly all fans inside the Rogers Centre tensely standing, had a chance to do what few others have done: win the World Series on a walk-off, until defensive gems by Rojas and outfielder Andy Pages saved the Dodgers by mere inches.
A thunderous Will Smith homer in the 11th and a shut-down closer job by Yamamoto, who had just started the night before, clinched the titles for the now back-to-back champs.
But those on the field do not make these moments alone; it’s the fans, broadcasters and even people who did not watch baseball until now, who truly made this series an all-timer.
The ebb and flow of both the Dodger Stadium and Rogers Centre crowds after each home run or high-leverage strikeout, the screams of joy and sadness from fans at home and even the reaction of my friends who do not watch sports that underlined how spectacular the series was.
Ben Houselog, a sports content creator with more than 300,000 followers, posted his initial reaction after the game.
“If you watched this game and still think baseball is boring after tonight, you need to consult with a psychiatrist,” Houselog said. “I think this was tremendous for baseball, because so many more people realize that you’re able to see crazy stuff happen every single inning.”
If this World Series were a movie, it would have won endless awards even from game seven, and for all those lucky enough to watch, you may have just witnessed a lifetime of historic baseball moments in just a week’s time.
Feature graphic by Nick Martinez
