2025 World Series

This week, the LA Dodgers won the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. It went until the close seventh game, lasting until the eleventh inning. An exciting back-to-back World Series win, since they also won last year’s game against the New York Yankees.

Both teams fought hard throughout the regular season. The Dodgers started with a strong season, but soon lost a couple of games, resulting in 93-69. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays had a 94-68 record, a jump from last year. They were at the top of their divisions, surpassing the Yankees, a surprise for New York fans. This left the teams neck and neck.

During the League Championship Series, the Blue Jays played against the Seattle Mariners. It ended up 4-3, Toronto, and was a really close game at the end. The Dodgers played against the Philadelphia Phillies and beat them.

In the first game of the World Series, the Blue Jays broke boundaries. Blake Snell was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers, and the first inning ended scoreless. One team scored, then another, and it eventually tied in the fifth, 2-2. Then the game changed. In the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Jays decided to put Addison Barger in, a pinch hitter. The strategy was that because he was left-handed, the pitcher for LA was also not a right-hander. Bases were loaded, and Barger delivered. He hit a grand slam, scoring four runs for the Jays. By then, the fans were ecstatic, happy that they might win. But, they weren’t done. Alejandro Kirk scored a two-run double, bumping Toronto up 2-6. Still not finished, there were multiple hits and walks afterwards, causing the Dodgers to take pitcher Snell out. There were still three innings to go, however. Following the grand slam and multiple runs in the sixth, LA scored two more. It was scoreless for the rest of the game. The Jays got their win. 11-4, Blue Jays.

The Dodgers were prepared after their shock from their loss. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched all nine innings in Game 2 while Toronto was excited for another win. The Dodgers’ offense and defense were solid, scoring a run early on by Will Smith. In the bottom of the third, George Springer was on base when Alejandro Kirk hit a sacrifice fly, tying the game 1-1. Up until the seventh, no runs were scored by either team. The Blue Jays put in their bullpen, where LA added two more to their score. The same thing happened in the next inning. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, and Andy Pages all scored. Striking out, the Blue Jays hit. Then the last inning came. Toronto had a chance to win the second game. Then struck out the Blue Jays. An article from MLB.com replies, “Yamamoto not only prevented the Dodgers from needing to reach into their mixed bag of a 'pen, but he also put his team in a much more favorable position.” The series was tied 1-1, the final score 5-1, Los Angeles.

Lasting 18 innings (twice as long as a regular game), Game 3 was long. It was “Six hours and 39 minutes of drama and madness,” The New York Times Athletic reports. The game was so tight that it seemed it would go on forever. People describe it as the “greatest game of all time.” It ended around midnight in Pacific Time, which was 3:00 a.m. for Toronto. The first inning was easy for the Dodgers. The Blue Jays had three pop flies, ending it quickly, thanks to pitcher Tyler Glasnow. Next, Max Scherzer stepped up to the mound, not letting the others score. On the fifth pitch of the bottom of the second, Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run. The same thing happened in the next inning. Shohei scored a single home run. It was two to nothing. The game kept bouncing back and forth, one of the most intense games. In the fourth inning, it all changed. Kirk hit a three-run home run, giving the Blue Jays a lead. A sac fly from Ernie Clement allowed Gimenez to score, now adding one more run to their tally. Now, at the bottom of the fifth, Ohtani hit a ball into left-center field, and Kiki Hernandez ran from base one to home. Then, Freddie Freeman, the hero of last year’s World Series, was able to tie the game 4-4. Los Angeles started to bring in their bullpen, which held up pretty well for the rest of the game. Both teams scored one run in the seventh. In the top of the tenth, Nathan Lukes hit a double, and the Blue Jays almost scored. The game was like that for the longest time, with neither team willing to give up. They were running out of pitchers, using a total of 19 combined. Roki Sasaki, Clayton Kershaw, Jeff Hoffman, and many more were throwing strikes, walks, and outs. The Jays intentionally walked Ohtani four times. By the 17th inning, people were getting tired and started to leave. And then baseball history was changed. A ball was pitched, and Freddie Freeman swung his bat. Hard. And scored. The Athletic even joked, “It may have disappeared over the center-field fence, but home runs like this one don’t ever really touch the earth.” The stadium went wild. The Dodgers were leading the World Series.

The next game was a lot shorter and calmer. The Toronto Blue Jays dominated this game. Early on, Dodgers’ Muncy was able to score one run through a sac fly. A two-in-one man, Shohei Ohtani is a starting pitcher and is also a great hitter. He pitched to Vlad Jr, one of the greatest baseball players on the Blue Jays. Lukes got a single, and then Guerrero swung and hit a home run in center field. Ohtani was pitching great, but the other team’s offense was too strong. Similar to a previous game, innings four through six had no runs, but a lot of fantastic saves by both teams’ defense. BBC Sports reported, “After Ohtani was taken out, Andres Gimenez, Ty France, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger all drove in runs to give the Blue Jays breathing space at 6-1 before the seventh-inning stretch.” In the bottom of the ninth, Dodger fans got excited. Base one and three were loaded. Tommy Edman stepped up and was able to get one more run for another player before first baseman Guerrero Jr. got him out. Then, they scored, but not enough to win the game. Toronto celebrated another win in the World Series, 6-2.

Game 5 was very similar to the previous one: another easy win for the Blue Jays. Within the first pitch from Snell, Davis Schneider hit a home run, right away. Canadian fans were shocked and thrilled. But they weren’t done yet. On the third pitch of the game, Vlad Jr. scored a home run. The Blue Jays’ offense was unstoppable. Then, Yesavage gave up a home run hit by Enrique Hernandez. Varsho slid to the last plate, Barger went to home through a walk, Bo Bichette scored, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit, allowing Toronto to score multiple times. It was a mess for the Dodgers. Dave Roberts, their manager, mentioned, “Right now, we’re at elimination, and we’ve got to kind of wipe the slate clean and find a way to win Game 6.” Six runs by six different players. 6-1, Blue Jays.

LA needed to win this game and the next to stay in the World Series. And they did. At first, it didn’t look promising. They struck out in the first inning and had a defensive error. Then things changed, and they had a double play, forcing Toronto out. Edman safely got to second, and then suddenly, bases were loaded. Betts stepped up, and the ball flew into left field. The Dodgers were able to get three runs out of that one hit. George Springer, previously injured and unable to play games four and five, swung his bat and brought Barger home. The Blue Jays almost got to third base, but then a double play happened. There were a lot of close calls that could’ve earned a run for Canada and LA, but the teams held on. The rest of the game was scoreless, and it stayed 3-1, Dodgers. The seventh game was happening, and the stakes were high.

Game seven. The last and final game to determine the winner of the World Series. Both pitchers seemed to be doing well, as there were no runs in the first inning. Two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the second. Bases were loaded for the Jays, but Ohtani threw and struck them out. The top of the third was very close; there was almost a home run, but Lukes saved it. Springer made it onto first base, then, through a sacrifice fly, he went to third. The Dodgers decided to walk Vlad Jr, but that was a bad decision for them. Bichette hit a home run. The score was 3-0. Teoscar Hernandez, a former Blue Jay but now a Dodger, hit in center field. LA was able to score one run. Bases were still loaded, though. Guerrero slid and caught a ball that would’ve been a foul, closing the top of the inning. Los Angeles’ pitcher Wrobleski threw and hit Gimenez, causing Blue Jay fans to get mad. Both coaches and players ran onto the field, even relievers. There was confusion and uncertainty, so it's unclear. Tommy Edman got a sac fly, bringing another point. Suddenly, Toronto gets another run from Gimenez. A double play from the Jays’ amazing defense closed the top of the seventh. Max Muncy then gets a single home run, but it isn’t enough to tie. In the ninth, the Dodgers are starting to get worried that they won’t get another title, but then it changes. Miguel Rojas surprises everyone by hitting a solo home run. It was 4-4. The Blue Jays had a chance in the bottom, with bases loaded. Varsho hit, and Toronto barely came home. Will Smith was certain that he had his foot on the plate, and he was correct. The call was an out. There were still players on base. Pages and Hernandez collided, but thankfully saved the ball. It would carry on to the next inning. The Blue Jays closed out the tenth, just barely. The bases were full (again), but Canada couldn’t score. Will Smith swung and hit a home run. The Dodgers looked like they would win, but the Jays still had a chance. LA put in Yamamoto, who let two people on base. Kirk stepped up for the last chance for Toronto, but it ended up in a double play. The Dodgers now had a back-to-back World Series win.

At the end of the game ESPN explains, “It's obviously a tragic ending for the Blue Jays, who shut down the Dodgers' offense most of the series.” Both teams fought hard until the end. Yamamoto, who threw 215 balls, was named the MVP of the games. Blake Snell said, “To be here now, it’s a dream come true. I couldn’t wish for anything more.”

Written By: Gabby Joo

Edited By: Kairi Tang

Image Credit: Sousa, K. (2025) [Photograph] Imagn Images. https://imagn.com/search/?searchtxt=kevin%20sousa