The Los Angeles Dodgers have become back-to-back World Series champions after a thrilling Game 7 against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre Saturday night.
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Manager Dave Roberts sent a message to the American League best Blue Jays following Saturday’s extra-inning matchup.
“What the Blue Jays did and they give us everything they had,” Roberts said. “Just such a first class organization.
“I got so much respect for what John does with his team and his staff and organization. They gave us everything we had. It was just a brawl. Both teams fighting and punching back and responding.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto closed out the game for the Dodgers on zero days rest, entering in the ninth and concluding his outing in the 11th to secure LA’s 5-4 win.
The right-hander’s performance was even more impressive considering he started Games 2 and 6 of the Fall Classic. Yamamoto allowed just two earned runs across 17.2 innings of work.
Rightfully so, Yamamoto earned the World Series MVP. He became the first pitcher to win the award since Stephen Strasburg won it with the Washington Nationals in 2019.
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The depth of Toronto’s lineup was on full display Saturday night, but Yamamoto shut the door on the Blue Jays to help the Dodgers secure a consecutive World Series title.
Beyond the Dodgers ace, there were several other heroes for LA as Will Smith broke the 4-4 tie in the 11th with a solo home run. The defending champions never had the lead until Smith’s homer.
Miguel Rojas also played a pivotal role for the Dodgers in Game 7. Rojas hit a solo home run in the ninth inning to tie the game, giving LA a chance to win it all.
Rojas became the first player in Major League Baseball history with a game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later of a World Series Game 7, according to OptaSTATS.
The Fall Classic was a fight to the death, but it was the Dodgers who won the war.
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