Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger (47) hits a double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning of Game 6 of the World Series in Toronto on Oct. 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO — A rollicking back-and-forth Game 7 had just about everything on Saturday night at Rogers Centre. The only thing missing was a victory for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Will Smith hit a tiebreaking solo homer off Shane Bieber in the 11th inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers held off a Toronto rally in the bottom half for a 5-4 victory and their second straight World Series title.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who started Game 6 a night earlier, got Alejandro Kirk to ground into a game-ending double-play with runners on the corners to end it.

"It will hurt for a few days, a few weeks, when you're that close," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider.

The Blue Jays had a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning but Jeff Hoffman gave up a solo homer to Miguel Rojas. Toronto nearly responded with a walkoff but Andy Pages ran down Ernie Clement's drive at the wall with the bases loaded to force extra innings.

"I cost everybody in here a World Series ring," Hoffman said. "It feels pretty (crappy)."

Bieber came on for the 11th after Seranthony Dominguez barely survived a bases-loaded jam in the 10th. Smith hit a 2-0 pitch that landed 366 feet away over the wall in left-centre field.

"Hung a slider to a guy that hits sliders well," Bieber said. "He was looking for it and I didn't execute."

In the bottom of the frame, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double and took third on a sacrifice bunt. Addison Barger walked before Kirk hit a grounder to Mookie Betts, who stepped on second base and threw to Freddie Freeman in plenty of time.

The Dodgers came streaming out of the dugout in celebration while the sellout crowd of 44,713 at Rogers Centre was silenced. Yamamoto, the World Series MVP who threw 96 pitches a night earlier, allowed one hit over 2 2/3 innings for the win.

Los Angeles became the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the New York Yankees, who won three titles in a row from 1998-2000.

"We've put together something pretty special, I do know that," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

The crowd was in full throat from the start. Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Jack Morris, who both own Blue Jays World Series rings, threw the ceremonial first pitches.

Bo Bichette hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays in the third inning. Starter Max Scherzer worked into the fifth inning for the Blue Jays while Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani lasted just 2 1/3 frames on short rest.

"We're a team. So win, lose as a team," Scherzer said. "Everybody in here is gutted. Just disbelief."

After a pair of tense scoreless frames, Bichette launched a 442-foot rocket over the wall in centre field. The benches emptied in the fourth after Justin Wrobleski hit Andres Gimenez with a pitch but cooler heads prevailed after some jawing in the infield.

The Dodgers chipped away with runs on a pair of sacrifice flies before Clement made it 4-2 when he came across on a Gimenez double.

The teams split the first two games of the best-of-seven series at Rogers Centre before the Dodgers took an 18-inning marathon at home in Game 3. The Blue Jays rebounded by winning the next two games at Dodger Stadium.

Los Angeles evened the series with a Game 6 road win on Friday to set up the winner-take-all showdown, the first World Series decider to go to extra innings in nine years.

"I'm just speechless," Roberts said. "I really am. It's going to go down as one for the ages."

The Blue Jays claimed the top seed in the American League after a 94-win season. Toronto beat the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, claiming their first playoff victory and series win in nine years.

Next up was Seattle in the AL Championship Series. George Springer delivered the knockout blow with a go-ahead three-run homer in Game 7 that will go down as an all-time moment for the franchise.

That set up Toronto's first World Series appearance since 1993 and marked the return of Bichette, who missed seven weeks with a knee sprain.

While it was a tough finish for the Blue Jays, it was still a remarkable bounce-back year for Canada's only big-league team. Toronto won just 74 games last year and finished last in the East Division standings.

The Blue Jays started slowly this year, too. A 13-0 loss to Tampa Bay on May 27 capped a three-game sweep and left Toronto in fourth place at 25-27.

The team quickly rebounded with a stretch of nine wins in 10 games and was in first place by early July. The Blue Jays did it with strong defence, timely hitting and decent pitching.

The offence that struggled so often in 2024 would finish the season as league leaders in several categories. Toronto also led the major leagues with 49 comeback victories.

Bichette and Springer returned to form after down years in 2024 and Guerrero stood tall in the heart of the order.

"I'm very thankful, very grateful, for our fans, for the city," Guerrero said via interpreter Hector Lebron. "The only thing I've got to say is that I'm sorry we couldn't give them that title that we know the entire city wants, myself included."

Younger players such as Barger, Clement and Davis Schneider got opportunities and took advantage. Top prospect Trey Yesavage arrived in September and showed the hype was real in October.

The Blue Jays delivered several wow moments throughout their playoff run.

There was the Guerrero grand slam against the Yankees. The Springer blast to complete a comeback against the Mariners. And Yesavage striking out 12 Dodgers in a dominant Game 5 performance.

The Blue Jays had 105 runs, 190 hits and 99 RBIs over their 18 playoff games, setting single post-season records in each category.

The team will look different in 2026, although a solid core remains in place. Several players are in contract years, including soon-to-be free agent Bichette, a homegrown star who came up through the team's system with Guerrero.

"I wish we could have won it together," Bichette said. "Wish we could have shared that moment together."

Thoughts on the future can wait for now. It's a Game 7 loss that remains top of mind for the Blue Jays, who got about as close as you can get to a title without winning it.

With files from Canadian Press sports reporters John Chidley-Hill and Joshua Clipperton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025