Dodgers defeat Blue Jays in shocking Game 7 comeback to repeat as World Series champions

You didn’t have to be watching the seventh game of the World Series to know that the Dodgers clinched back-to-back wins.

This is Los Angeles, after all.

So sounds of fireworks exploding seemingly in every direction gave it away. The team couldn’t see the light show from Toronto, but they were hard to miss across the L.A. Basin.

⚾ Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4 — FINAL (11 innings)

DODGERS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

Miguel Rojas forced extra innings on a home run in the ninth inning before Will Smith hit a go-ahead home run in the 11th inning as the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions in 25 years.

Facing Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 11th inning with the tying run at third base, Alejandro Kirk grounded to short and Mookie Betts turned a 6-3 double play to end the game.

11th-inning recap

Top of the 11th: Facing Toronto pitcher Shane Bieber, Miguel Rojas grounded out to third before Shohei Ohtani grounded out to second base.

Will Smith then hit a 366-foot home run to left field to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead — their first lead of the game.

Freddie Freeman grounded out to short to send the game to the bottom of the 11th inning.

Bottom of the 11th: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a leadoff double into the left-field corner off Yoshinobu Yamamoto. With Clayton Kershaw and Roki Sasaki warming up in the bullpen, Isiah Kiner-Falefa advanced Guerrero on a sacrifice bunt.

Yamamoto walked Addison Barger, putting runners on the corners.

Alejandro Kirk then grounded into a 6-3 double play that secured the Dodgers their second consecutive World Series title.

⚾ Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 4 — Through 10th inning

Top of the 10th: Facing Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Domínguez, Freddie Freeman lined out to deep left field. Mookie Betts then drew a walk before Max Muncy singled on a grounder to center field. Teoscar Hernández then drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases.

Andy Pages, who took over in center field for Tommy Edman in the ninth, hit a grounder to short that Andrés Giménez quickly threw to catcher Alejandro Kirk to force out Mookie Betts at home.

Kiké Hernández grounded out to first, with Domínguez covering first and getting his foot on the bag just in time.

Bottom of the 10th: Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets Andrés Giménez to ground out to second base. Yamamoto struck out George Springer. Myles Straw flied out to right to end the inning.

⚾ Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 4 — Through ninth inning

Top of the ninth: Toronto reliever Jeff Hoffman struck out Kiké Hernández.

The Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas then hit a 387-foot solo home run to left field off Hoffman to tie the game.

Shohei Ohtani flied out sharply to left field before Hoffman struck out Will Smith to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.

Bottom of the ninth: Facing Blake Snell, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flied out to deep center field. Bo Bichette then singled to left, with pinch-runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa taking over for him at first.

Addison Barger drew a nine-pitch walk, prompting Dodgers manager to replace Snell with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who started Game 6 for the Dodgers.

Yamamoto hit Alejandro Kirk on the hand with a pitch, loading the bases.

Daulton Varsho then hit a grounder to second that Rojas threw to Will Smith at home plate to force out Kiner-Falefa at home plate by the narrowest of margins (on-field call upheld on review).

Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages in left center-field despite Pages colliding with Kiké Hernández at the warning track as the Dodgers escaped to send the game into extra innings.

⚾ Blue Jays 4, Dodgers 3 — Through eighth inning

Top of the eighth: Mookie Betts grounded out to short to lead off the inning.

Max Muncy then hit a 373-foot home run to right field off Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage to make it a one-run game again.

After Teoscar Hernández grounded out to second, the Blue Jays went back to their bullpen, putting Jeff Hoffman on the mound. Tommy Edman grounded out to second base for the third out.

Bottom of the eighth: Ernie Clement hit a standup double to the wall in left-center field for his 30th hit of the postseason — an MLB record. It was his third hit of the game and it prompted the Dodgers to replace Emmet Sheehan with Blake Snell on the mound.

Muncy then made a nice grab on a laser off the bat of Andrés Giménez to hold Clement at second. Snell struck out George Springer and Davis Schneider to send the game to the ninth inning.

⚾ Blue Jays 4, Dodgers 2 — Through seventh inning

Top of the seventh: Facing Toronto pitcher Trey Yesavage, Shohei Ohtani drew a walk. Will Smith then flied out to center field. Freddie Freeman then grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to cap the frame.

Bottom of the seventh: Emmet Sheehan replaced Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the Dodgers, and he struck out Bo Bichette. Addison Barger then grounded out to first base.

Alejandro Kirk singled on a sharp liner to right field for his second hit of the game. Sheehan struck out Daulton Varsho to end the inning.

⚾ Blue Jays 4, Dodgers 2 — Through sixth inning

Top of the sixth: Mookie Betts drew a walk off Blue Jays reliever Chris Bassitt before Max Muncy singled on a line drive to right field.

Tesocar Hernández followed with a chopper up the middle that Bassitt fielded and threw to second base, forcing out Muncy.

Tommy Edman drove in Betts on a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 3-2 Toronto.

Kiké Hernández followed with a single on a grounder to right field to put runners on second and first. Miguel Rojas grounded out to Bassitt, who tagged out Rojas to cap the frame.

Bottom of the sixth: Ernie Clement led with a single to left field off Tyler Glasnow. Clement then stole second one pitch before Andrés Giménez hit an RBI double to the wall in right-center field to give Toronto a 4-2 lead.

Glasnow struck out George Springer before Nathan Lukes lined out to center field, moving Giménez to third. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to Max Muncy to end the inning.

⚾ Blue Jays 3, Dodgers 1 — Through fifth inning

Top of the fifth: Max Scherzer struck out Kiké Hernández before Miguel Rojas singled on a line drive to left field.

The hit ended Scherzer’s night on the mound after 4⅓ innings, and he received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd.

Shohei Ohtani then singled on a grounder to right off Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland. Will Smith and Freddie Freeman then flied out to center field to strand Rojas and Ohtani.

Bottom of the fifth: Bo Bichette lined out to third before Tyler Glasnow struck out Addison Barger. Alejandro Kirk then singled on a flare to center before Daulton Varsho grounded out to second for the third out.

⚾ Blue Jays 3, Dodgers 1 — Through fourth inning

Top of the fourth: Will Smith led with a double off the wall in left-center field before Freddie Freeman singled on a sharp liner to right field.

With runners on the corners, Toronto pitcher Max Scherzer got Mookie Betts popped out to shallow right field. Max Muncy then drew a seven-pitch walk to load the bases.

Teoscar Hernández followed with a first-pitch sacrifice fly to center field that scored Smith for the Dodgers’ first run, but Daulton Varsho made a spectacular diving catch to limit the damage.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then made an amazing diving catch on a laser down the line off the bat of Tommy Edman to end the inning.

Bottom of the fourth: Ernie Clement grounded out to short before Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski hit Andrés Giménez with a pitch, prompting the benches to clear.

Wrobleski threw two inside at Giménez, with the second nearly hitting him, before the third made contact with his hand. Giménez and Wrobleski immediately exchanged words, leading to both benches and dugouts clearing.

Umpires issued warnings to both teams and things got back to normal rather quickly.

Toronto’s Andrés Giménez confronts Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski after being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

George Springer then hit a comebacker off Wrobleski’s leg on the next at-bat that was too much for the pitcher to handle, resulting in a single.

Wrobleski struck out Nathan Lukes and Dave Roberts went back to his bullpen, putting Tyler Glasnow on the mound. Wrobleski was loudly booed by Blue Jays fans as he walked to the dugout.

Glasnow, who picked up the save in Game 6, got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out to center field to strand runners on second and first.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy holds back pitcher Justin Wrobleski as the benches clear in the fourth inning.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

⚾ Blue Jays 3, Dodgers 0 — Through third inning

Top of the third: Kiké Hernández flied out to center field before Max Scherzer struck out Miguel Rojas. Toronto left fielder Nathan Lukes then made a overhead catch while on the run at the warning track to rob Shohei Ohtani of a hit.

Bottom of the third: George Springer singled on a line drive to left field for his second hit of the game off Shohei Ohtani. Nathan Lukes then moved Springer to second on a sacrifice bunt that Ohtani fielded and threw to first.

A wild pitch by Ohtani allowed Springer to take third base. Ohtani then intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Bo Bichette then crushed a 442-foot three-run home run to center field to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 3-0 lead.

The home run ended Ohtani’s night on the mound, with Justin Wrobleski coming on in relief. Addison Barger singled on a liner to center field before Alejandro Kirk lined out sharply to deep center field for the second out.

Wrobleski struck out Daulton Varsho to end the inning.

⚾ Dodgers 0, Blue Jays 0 — Through second inning

Top of the second: Max Muncy struck out and Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman each flied out to right field.

Before the inning started, Blue Jays manager John Schneider spoke with home plate umpire Jordan Baker. Their discussion topic probably centered on either the delayed strikeout call on Guerrero in the first or the extra warmup time Shohei Ohtani got to open the game.

Bottom of the second: Ohtani walked Bo Bichette on five pitches. Addison Barger followed with a liner to shallow right for a single. Alejandro Kirk then popped out to first base.

Daulton Varsho flied out to right field, keeping the runners on second and first. Ernie Clement singled to right field to load the bases.

Ohtani got out of the jam by striking out Andrés Giménez, but he’s at 43 pitches through two innings.

⚾ Dodgers 0, Blue Jays 0 — Through first inning

Top of the first: Shohei Ohtani opened the game with a single to center field off Toronto pitcher (and former Dodgers starter) Max Scherzer. Will Smith followed with a groundout to first base that was fielded by a diving Vladimir Guerrero Jr., moving Ohtani to second.

Freddie Freeman then flied out sharply to deep left-center field, giving Ohtani enough time to advance to third. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to end the 10-pitch inning for Scherzer.

Bottom of the first: Facing Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who got extra time from umpires to warm up before being stranded at third in the top of the inning, gave up a leadoff single to George Springer.

Ohtani struck out Nathan Lukes on seven pitches. The Dodgers then pulled off a double play with Ohtani striking out Guerrero and Will Smith throwing out Springer at second base after Springer pulled up on a delayed strikeout call (thinking Guerrero had been walked).

Every indication from the Dodgers on Saturday has been that Tyler Glasnow, coming off his three-pitch save in Game 6, would be available to pitch in Game 7.

However, Fox Sports’ Tom Verducci said on the network’s broadcast ahead of the winner-take-all showdown that Glasnow was dealing with side soreness late Friday night.

The severity of the issue, or how much it might impact Glasnow on Saturday, was not clear.

Glasnow mentioned no issue when he spoke with SportsNet LA prior to the game, saying “it means everything” to have the chance to pitch in Game 7.

“It’s kind of why you play,” Glasnow said. “The whole season comes down to one game, which is kinda crazy. But it’s just all about preparing. And when I’m called on, I’ll be ready.”

Manager Dave Roberts said in his pregame news conference that all of his pitchers (even Game 6 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto) were expected to be available.

What’s different in the World Series this year? The New York Yankees are not here, and the Toronto Blue Jays are.

For Major League Baseball, that represents an opportunity.

On the eve of the World Baseball Classic, as the league attempts to grow its popularity around the world and considers sending its star players to the 2028 Olympics, the World Series ratings are encouraging.

TORONTO — Once again, the planets have aligned for Shohei Ohtani.

The elements are in place for another climactic finish to the latest chapter of this real-life manga, and baseball might never be the same after this.

World Series.

Game 7.

Ohtani will be the Dodgers’ starting pitcher and designated hitter.

If you’re not on social media, good for you. If you are, you know that any good start by Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is immediately followed by a flood of venom aimed at former major league outfielder Josh Reddick.

No sooner had Yamamoto thrown his World Series complete game last week than Reddick got 3 million views for one of his tweets from two years ago.

Many of those viewers were happy to tell him he was a moron.

TORONTO — Miguel Rojas knows his role.

“A utility guy who can play different positions, who can really play defense,” he said.

Turns out that was exactly what the Dodgers needed Friday in Game 6 of the World Series. And Rojas was up to the task, making four splendid plays in the field to preserve a 3-1 win that sent the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays to a deciding Game 7 on Saturday.

“Miggy played the heck out of second base and made some huge plays,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We were hoping for that kind of energy infusion. We got that from Miggy.”

Here are the starting lineups for the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays for Game 7 of the World Series at 5 p.m. PDT.

TORONTO — Tyler Glasnow threw seven, maybe eight, pitches in the bullpen. There was no more time to wait. The red emergency light was flashing.

For 14 years, Glasnow has made a nice living as a pitcher. He has thrown hard, if not always durably or effectively.

There is one thing he had not done. In 320 games, from the minors to the majors, from the Arizona Fall League to the World Series, he never had earned a save.

Until Friday, that is, and only after the Dodgers presented him with this opportunity out of equal parts confidence and desperation: Please save us. The winning run is at the plate with no one out. If you fail, we lose the World Series.

If you’re looking for a place to catch the Dodgers game, there’s a pizza place not too far from Dodger Stadium called LaSorted’s. If you know, you know. If you don’t know, this probably is not your place.

The walls are almost entirely covered in Dodgers memorabilia: yearbooks, programs, newspapers, magazine covers, advertisements, record albums, even a thermometer reading “1988 World Champions,” with portraits of Vin Scully, Don Drysdale and Ross Porter.

The menu includes a pizza called Mookie, with three cheeses, garlic, mushrooms, and mushroom cream.

The Dodgers, it turns out, chose the perfect costume in which to parade on this scariest of Halloween nights.

They came dressed as the Dodgers.

The Yoshinobu-Yamamoto-firing Dodgers. The Mookie-Betts-blasting Dodgers. The energetic-and-inspired Dodgers.

The listless team of the previous two games was gone. The passionate team of the previous month was back.

Earlier this week fans were asking, who are those guys? On Friday they emphatically answered that question by finally, forcefully, being themselves.

TORONTO — The play that saved the Dodgers’ season started with a sound, and a feeling.

There was a faint crack of a broken bat. A ball that was momentarily lost in the lights. And a player with more postseason experience than anyone else in Dodgers history, making the right read, and the perfect play, at the most critical juncture of the entire year.

In the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 6 of the World Series on Friday night, the Dodgers were in danger of succumbing to disaster. The two-run lead they’d held for much of the evening was suddenly under threat.

The Toronto Blue Jays had the tying runs in scoring position with nobody out. The Dodgers had removed closer Roki Sasaki to call on potential Game 7 starter Tyler Glasnow in emergency relief. And inside a sold-out Rogers Centre, the hopes of an entire nation had turned the scene deafening.

TORONTO — The Dodgers have forced a Game 7 in the World Series.

And Shohei Ohtani will be their starting pitcher.

In what will be just four days removed from his six-plus-inning, 93-pitch start in Game 4 of this World Series, Ohtani will serve as the team’s opener in Saturday’s winner-take-all contest, the team announced Saturday.

“It just made the most sense,” said manager Dave Roberts, who added he would “read and react” over the course of Ohtani’s start to decide how deep to push him into the game.

The Dodgers face the Toronto Blue Jays in a winner-take-all Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre on Saturday at 5 p.m. PDT.

The Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 in Game 6 on Friday night to the tie the series 3-3. If the Dodgers win tonight, they’ll become the first back-to-back World Series champions in 25 years. If Toronto wins, it will be its first title since 1993.

The game will be televised on Fox, Fox One and Fox Deportes. Radio broadcasts in the Los Angeles area will be on 570 AM and 1020 AM (Español).

Here are the latest betting odds for Game 7 of the World Series: