The Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series after Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning.

The seemingly never-ending 18-inning game tied for the longest in World Series history, but will the series also turn into a long one? Los Angeles and Toronto have been evenly matched through the first three games of the World Series, and have a chance to see their series extend to seven games. However, it's been six years since any World Series has gone to Game 7.

Before the Dodgers and Blue Jays face off in Game 4, here's a look back at the 40 times when the World Series has reached a winner-take-all Game 7 in the past.

Every World Series to go to Game 7

The Dodgers have played in Game 7 of the World Series six times before, but have gone just 2–4 in those appearances. Their last victory in Game 7 of the World Series came in 1965, when Sandy Koufax pitched a three-hit complete game shutout on just two days rest to lead the Dodgers to a 2–0 win and the championship.

More recently, the Dodgers lost the World Series in seven games to the Astros in 2017, and are currently facing George Springer, the former Astros hitter that set a World Series record with home runs in each of the last four games of the series to win the series and MVP.

The Blue Jays have been to the World Series twice—in 1992 and '93—and won both series in six games.

No team has won the World Series in Game 7 more often than the Cardinals, who have done so to capture eight of their 11 championship titles. The Pirates have also seen great success in Game 7, going a perfect 5–0 in those World Series.

Most memorable World Series Game 7 victories

One of the most memorable World Series victories took place nine years ago, when the Cubs fought off a comeback attempt from Cleveland to win their first World Series in over 100 years. Chicago took a 6–3 lead through the first seven innings before Brandon Guyer and Rajai Davis combined for three RBIs to tie up the game. The game went to the tenth inning, where the Cubs scored two runs and held Cleveland to just one run in the bottom of the inning to claim the title.

The Cubs are also the most recent to come back from being down 3–1 in the World Series to win the championship. The 1985 Royals, 1979 Pirates, 1968 Tigers, 1958 Yankees and 1925 Pirates are the other five teams to accomplish this feat.

Few games have been more memorable than Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, which saw the Diamondbacks win their first and only championship with two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. In just their fourth season as an expansion team, the Diamondbacks were trailing 2–1 in the bottom of the ninth before Luis Gonzalez hit the game-winning single to snatch the title from the Yankees.

The most dramatic game in World Series history though belongs to the 1960 clash between the Pirates and Yankees. The Pirates took an early 4–0 lead in the game, but the Yankees ended up nabbing a 5–4 lead through six innings. They extended their lead with two more runs in the eighth, only for the Pirates to respond with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. New York tied the game at 9–9 in the ninth, but Bill Mazeroski hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win. The game featured seven home runs, multiple lead changes, and to date, the only walk-off home run ever in Game 7 of the World Series.

Top World Series Game 7 performances

Koufax's shutout in 1965 was far from the only great pitching performance MLB has seen in Game 7 of the World Series. More recently in 2014, former Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner protected a one-run lead by pitching five scoreless innings in a Game 7 victory over the Royals, the longest save in postseason history. Bumgarner pitched five innings off of just two days rest after pitching a complete game shutout in Game 5 of the series.

Along with those performances, former Twins pitcher Jack Morris delivered for Minnesota in his first season with the team. In Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Morris pitched 10 shutout innings before the Twins finally scored a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to win the game and series. Morris was named the World Series MVP.

Bret Saberhagen, Ralph Terry, Lew Burdette, Johnny Kucks, Johnny Podres, Dizzy Dean and Babe Adams also all pitched complete game shutouts in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the World Series. Dean and Adams remarkably did so on just one day of rest.

Out on the bases, Lou Brock made history in Game 7 of the 1967 World Series with a record three stolen bases in the game. Brock also went 2-for-4 at the plate.

In the 1956 World Series—one of his thirteen title victories as a player and coach—Yogi Berra hit two home runs in the Yankees' dominant 9–0 victory. Both Berra and Bill Skowron finished the game with four RBIs. Skowron also hit a three-run home run in their World Series victory two years later.

Nearly 30 years later in 1985, Darryl Motley helped the Royals earn their first World Series victory by going 3-for-4 in Game 7, including hitting a home run after changing bats. The following year, Keith Hernandez recorded three RBIs in the Mets' 8–5 win over the Red Sox in Game 7.

More World Series on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Remembering Every Time the World Series Went to Seven Games.