The Los Angeles Dodgers secured consecutive World Series championships for the first time in 25 years, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in an 11-inning Game 7 thriller on Saturday night, CNN reported. Will Smith's solo home run in the top of the 11th inning provided the winning margin, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered 2 and 2/3 scoreless relief innings to earn his third victory of the series. Los Angeles became the first franchise to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees won three straight titles from 1998-2000.
Toronto seized an early advantage when Bo Bichette homered off Shohei Ohtani in the third inning, according to CNN. The Dodgers narrowed the gap with runs in the fourth and sixth before Max Muncy's towering blast brought them within one. Andrés Giménez's run-scoring double rebuilt Toronto's cushion, but Miguel Rojas tied the contest at 4-4 with a ninth-inning home run that forced extra innings. The teams battled through bases-loaded jams in both the ninth and 10th innings before Smith's heroics in the 11th.
Yamamoto entered in relief and dominated Toronto's lineup, CNN noted. After complete-game and winning performances in Games 2 and 6 respectively, the Japanese ace faced his toughest challenge in the 11th when Vladimir Guerrero Jr doubled to lead off the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa's sacrifice bunt moved Guerrero to third before Yamamoto intentionally walked Addison Barger to set up a potential double play.
The strategy succeeded when Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, who already had two hits in the game, hit a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts, CNN reported. Betts stepped on second and threw to first baseman Freddie Freeman for the game-ending double play. Kirk's at-bat came after Shane Bieber had allowed Smith's go-ahead homer in the top of the inning, giving Los Angeles the lead they needed.
Yamamoto recorded the game's first one-two-three inning in the 10th, retiring Giménez on a ground ball before striking out George Springer and getting Nathan Lukes on a fly ball, according to CNN. The performance brought Yamamoto's World Series total to 16 innings pitched. His relief work proved crucial after the Dodgers squandered their own bases-loaded opportunity in the top of the 10th.
Smith's decisive home run came after Bieber entered for the 11th inning and retired Miguel Rojas and Ohtani quickly, CNN noted. The catcher's blast off Bieber gave the Dodgers a 5-4 advantage with Yamamoto taking over to finish the championship run. Los Angeles had escaped Toronto's bases-loaded threat in the ninth inning, setting the stage for the extra-inning drama that would define one of baseball's most memorable Game 7 finishes.
