Game 7 of the 2025 World Series simply had it all.

There was Bo Bichette’s no-doubt homer to get things started, Blue Jays manager John Schneider vocalizing complaints about a little-known rule, and a hit-by-pitch that cleared both benches. And then, of course, there was the ninth inning—one that will be remembered for Miguel Rojas’s game-tying solo shot and Andy Pages’s game-saving catch in center field.

After 11 innings of baseball, it was the Dodgers celebrating on the field at Rogers Centre on Saturday night, closing out the best-of-seven World Series with a dramatic 5–4 comeback win over Toronto.

The Dodgers are MLB’s first back-to-back champions since the Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 to 2000.

Before the Los Angeles area heads into a champagne-stained celebration that hopefully lasts for days, here are three takeaways from an unforgettable Game 7:

The Dodgers are inevitable

If we learned anything Saturday night, it’s to never count out a $350 million payroll.

When they needed a big play late in Game 7, though, it wasn’t Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts or Freddie Freeman authoring a signature moment. It was 36-year-old veteran infielder Miguel Rojas crushing a 3–2 pitch from closer Jeff Hoffman to tie Game 7 with two outs in the ninth inning.

In the 11th inning, one of the Dodgers’ prized franchise players did step up. Los Angeles catcher Will Smith hammered a solo home run to left field for a 5–4 lead, enough for the Dodgers to hang onto at the end.

The Blue Jays were no Cinderella story—they boast the fifth-highest payroll in baseball. But the depth of star pitching the Dodgers threw in Game 7 alone—Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto—made it clear Los Angeles is truly in a class of its own.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, World Series hero

Yamamoto threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ 3–1 win in Game 6. Entering Game 7, Los Angeles manager David Roberts told the media that Yamamoto would be available for Game 7 if needed.

And, boy, did they need him.

Yamamoto entered a 4–4 game in the ninth inning with a runners on first and second. He hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, but then got out of the jam with a groundout and fly out. Yamamoto sat down the Blue Jays in order in the 10th and was on the mound in the 11th when Betts tagged second base and threw a strike to Freeman for the game-winning play.

In three World Series outings—two starts and a relief appearance—Yamamoto allowed just two runs in 17 2/3 innings.

Game 7 Ohtani wasn’t quite cinematic

Late Friday night, Ohtani learned he was going to start Game 7 on the mound. It set the stage for a potential unbelievable Game 7 with baseball’s brightest star shining both on the mound and in the batter’s box while fighting for a championship.

Although Ohtani had a nice night at the plate, he didn’t quite meet the moment on the mound.

Ohtani cruised through the first inning and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the second. But he was pulled in the third inning when Bichette crushed a three-run homer to center field for a 3–0 Blue Jays lead.

Ohtani wrapped up his second career postseason batting .265/.405/.691 while logging a 4.43 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings in four starts.

More World Series on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as World Series Game 7 Takeaways: Dodgers’ Wild Comeback Secures Back-to-Back Titles.

Add as preferred source on Google