Will Smith lifts Dodgers to back-to-back World Series titles in Game 7 thriller

With two outs in the 11th inning of Game 7, Will Smith delivered a moment for the ages, blasting a tie-breaking home run that lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4, to capture their second straight World Series title on Nov. 2.

Smith’s clutch swing sealed the Dodgers’ back-to-back championship run and cemented their place among baseball’s modern dynasties.

The victory marked Los Angeles’ 13th consecutive playoff appearance, 12th National League West title, fifth National League pennant, and third World Series crown under the current era of dominance.

Hunger satisfied

From February to November, the Dodgers had been driven to reaffirm their dominance and they did just that, becoming the first ever baseball team to achieve a back-to-back World Series feat since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000.

After the dominant season, the Dodgers lived up to expectations as one of the greatest rosters in baseball history. Before handing the dramatic loss to the host city, it took Miguel Rojas’ game-tying home run in the ninth to extend the game into extra two innings and delivered Smith’s clutch play homer. 

Forever treasure

“You dream of those moments, you know, extra innings, put your team ahead – I’ll remember that forever,” Smith said after the four hours, and seven minute breathtaking match.

“It’s hard to put into words right now. This is amazing. This is about as amazing as it gets. This is why you play this game. You want to hoist up that trophy. You want to spill champagne everywhere. You want to celebrate with your teammates,” Max Muncy said, who contributed two runs for the Dodgers.

“For us, our first game was what March 17? The first game was March 17 and the last game was November 1st … sorry, sorry, fact check me – November 2nd (after midnight). This is why you play this game. You want to hoist up that trophy. This is why you put on a Dodger uniform.” he added.

The calm before the storm

The thrilling match see-sawed early as both teams exchanged defensive stops. In the first three innings, Blue Jays got the upper hand with 3-0 deficit, thanks to Bo Bichett’s third inning three-run homerun off Shohei Ohtani’s pitch.

The Dodgers answered as Smith scored in the fourth inning on an Enrique Hernández hit, followed by Mookie Betts’ sixth-inning run. 

The Blue Jays responded with a solo homer from shortstop Andrés Giménez to restore a two-run cushion. But Muncy’s eighth-inning solo blast trimmed the deficit to one, 4-3, and kept Los Angeles within striking distance.

The storm breaks

Rojas’ dazzle and upset the Toronto crowd with a silencer game-tying homerun that extended the game in two extra innings. 

From this point on, the MVP, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 2 and ⅔ innings in relief that allowed the Blue Jay’s only one hit and no runs, a perfect composure for crucial and decisive plays. 

Powered by Yamamoto’s defense, Smith didn’t waste his efforts and delivered the finishing swing to retain the World Series trophy. 

The Dodgers registered a total of three home runs via Rojas, Muncy, and Smith’s final moment that executed the Dodger’s first-ever lead in the game seven that eventually became one of the glorious moments in sports history.

Heartbreak in Toronto

For the Blue Jays, a heartbreaking defeat in their home turf is another pain for their defeat. And the costly crucial plays made their regret that supposedly sealed their first-ever world series championship since 1993. 

“It sucks,” Jeff Hoffman said. “Supposed to end differently. Was just one pitch. I cost everybody here a World Series ring. It feels pretty shitty.” after throwing a slider that Rojas’ tied in the ninth inning. 

Another pricy pitch, Bieber who faced Smith in the final moments said, “Hung a slider to a great guy who hits sliders well. He was looking for it. I didn’t execute. This one stings. It’s going to sting for a while. This game is not for the faint of heart.”

However, one thing is certain. The match will forever be remembered as one of the greatest moments in sports history.