Miguel Rojas reacts after his game-tying home run in the ninth inning during game seven of the World Series. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

TORONTO — If you have ever wondered what it sounds like to hear a pin drop, consider the 11th inning at Rogers Centre at six minutes past midnight on Sunday, as a drive off the bat of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith soared over the diamond and descended into the bullpen of the Toronto Blue Jays. The sound upon its landing — thunk — resounded through a ballpark in front of a ball club already stunned once by a late-night Dodgers rally. From this one, they could not recover.

In the decisive moment of the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory in Game 7 of the World Series, the baseball splashed off the grass inside the bullpen and into the stands. Smith spread his arms wide and rounded the bases. After a season spent wondering if the Dodgers might ruin baseball, the team has become the first back-to-back champion since the New York Yankees in 1998 to 2000.

To close the show and cement the Dodgers’ dynasty, the team turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was pitching on zero days of rest. He collected the final three outs in a multi-inning stint.

Toronto was already reeling from an agonizing experience in the top of the ninth, when Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas tied the game with a solo home run. Two outs away from securing the title, Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman hung a slider. Rojas smacked the ball over the left-field fence. The flight of the baseball acted as a mute button for Rogers Centre, a building teeming with anticipation only moments before. Instead, the shrieks and screams from the Dodgers dugout echoed through the building.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts closed his eyes and clasped his skull. His players clambered out of the dugout. Rojas thumped his chest and pointed toward the sky.

The Blue Jays only heightened the tension with an attempted rally in the bottom of the inning. A one-out single by Bo Bichette and a walk by outfielder Addison Barger put pressure on Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell. Desperate for an escape, Roberts called for Yamamoto, who had thrown 96 pitches the night before.

Yamamoto was far from sharp. He hit catcher Alejandro Kirk with his second pitch to load the bases. The Dodgers pulled their infielders to the edge of the grass. Rojas maintained his balance on a sharply hit grounder by outfielder Daulton Varsho and threw home for the second out. Called into the game as a defensive replacement, Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages sprinted to the wall, leaped over teammate Kiké Hernández and managed to snag a drive from Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement.

The Dodgers loaded the bases in the top of the 10th. The game once again found Pages, who had been benched earlier in the series amid an extended slump. Pages grounded into a fielder’s choice as shortstop Andrés Giménez threw home for the second out. Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Dominguez and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. connected for the third out.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Nov 2, 2025

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Andy McCullough is a senior writer for The Athletic covering MLB. He previously covered baseball at the Los Angeles Times, the Kansas City Star and The Star-Ledger. A graduate of Syracuse University, he grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Follow Andy on Twitter @ByMcCullough