Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with the trophy after their win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

By The Canadian Press

7 moments that made Dodgers-Blue Jays a World Series for the ages

Nov 3, 2025 | 3:07 PM

Epic comebacks. Thrilling marathons. All-time performances from some of the game’s all-time greats.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ heartbreaking, seven-game World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers had it all — from a Game 1 blowout to the final out in the 11th inning of Game 7 at Rogers Centre.

Was it the best Fall Classic ever? Some experts say there’s no question.

“There has never been a better Game 7 than we got in Toronto on Saturday night and into Sunday morning. And there has never been a better World Series than this one,” wrote longtime baseball author and columnist Mike Lupica on MLB.com.

Veteran ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian said the matchup surpassed the 1991 series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves as the most remarkable in baseball’s long history.

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“With apologies to 1991, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays just finished the greatest World Series,” he wrote. “Not because all the games were great — some weren’t. All were flawed, but all were marvellously fun, interesting and entertaining. It was the greatest World Series because of its compelling storylines, some of which were impossible to believe.”

Let’s revisit seven moments that made the 2025 World Series one for the books.

BARGER’S PINCH HIT

The Blue Jays gave Toronto fans plenty to cheer about in their first World Series game in 32 years, smacking three home runs in an 11-4 rout. Addison Barger’s grand slam in a nine-run sixth inning — the most runs in a single World Series inning since 1968 — stood above the rest. Barger, who began the season in Triple-A, subbed in for Davis Schneider and became the first pinch-hitter to hit a grand slam in World Series history. Alejandro Kirk added a two-run shot for good measure in a raucous Rogers Centre.

18 INNINGS

Game 3 began at 5:11 p.m. PT and lasted 399 minutes, finishing just before midnight in Los Angeles — 3 a.m. ET for fans in Toronto — when Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off homer for the Dodgers in the 18th inning. Both teams went deep into the bullpens, and dual-threat superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first player in 83 years to reach base nine times in a major league game. Ohtani hit two home runs and two doubles in his first four at-bats before the Blue Jays walked him five straight times — four intentionally — in a staggering performance.

GUERRERO VS. OHTANI

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered off Ohtani mere hours after the Game 3 marathon to lead Toronto to a 6-2 win in Game 4. Guerrero — the face of the franchise who signed a US$500-million contract this year — delivered a monster post-season. He hit eight home runs with a .397 batting average and a majors-leading 1.289 OPS.

TREY’S A SAVAGE

Trey Yesavage went from A-ball prospect to World Series standout in 2025. The 22-year-old was sensational for Toronto in Game 5 of the Fall Classic — and the entire post-season — setting a rookie playoff record by striking out 12 batters and pushing the Blue Jays to the brink of a World Series title. The performance came only 46 days after his major-league debut.

LODGED BALL

The Blue Jays had a chance to force extras in Game 6, but a freak bounce killed the rally. Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on first, Barger ripped a liner to left-centre. Pinch-runner Myles Straw scored and Barger followed, but the ball lodged between the field and the wall and, after review, was ruled a ground-rule double. “I haven’t seen a ball get lodged ever,” Jays manager John Schneider said. Centre-fielder Daulton Varsho called it “the only spot it possibly could have gotten stuck.” Two batters later, Barger was caught off second on a double play to end it.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Game 7 alone could fill this list of key moments. The Blue Jays led 4-3 and were two outs away from securing the title when Miguel Rojas — the Dodgers’ No. 9 batter who homered just seven times all season — tied it with a solo shot off closer Jeff Hoffman in the top of the ninth. A chaotic bottom of the inning followed: Isaiah Kiner-Falefa was thrown out at home plate, inches from a walk-off, before Dodgers fielder Andy Pages trucked over teammate Kike Hernandez while making the catch on Ernie Clement’s deep fly-ball for the third out. Toronto also loaded the bases in the 10th inning and had two runners on when Alejandro Kirk grounded into a season-ending double play in the 11th. In total, the Jays left 10 runners on in the game.

YAMAMOTO SHUTS IT DOWN

Will Smith hit the go-ahead home run in the 11th, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the Game 7 hero. He pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing one hit to close out the Blue Jays just 24 hours after throwing 96 pitches with one earned run in the Dodgers’ Game 6 victory. Yamamoto also threw the first Fall Classic complete game since 2015 in Game 2, giving up one run in a 5-1 win. He was named the World Series MVP.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press