It seems, it feels remarkable that the final contest of the 2025 Fall Classic echoes so many of the beats that were produced in the final World Series game in 1912. 113 years ago. The remarkable-ness comes from opposite poles. How in the world can two events separated by so many decades and shaped by so many different strategies and methodologies possibly connect to one another? Of course two events separated by so many decades and shaped by so many different strategies and methodologies can connect – this is baseball! The response to either statement is the same: this is baseball.
This is the World Series.
113 years ago, a team down to its two final outs somehow conjured enough magic to set aside what surely looked like a crushing loss to instead pull an historic, jubilant, goose-pimpling extra-inning victory out of the hat in a contest for all the marbles, one that saw one of the previous game’s starters earn the victory – his third of the Fall Classic that year – in relief.
Less than 24 hours ago, a team down to its two final outs somehow conjured enough magic to set aside what surely looked like a crushing loss to instead pull an historic, jubilant, goose-pimpling extra-inning victory out of the hat in a contest for all the marbles, one that saw one of the previous game’s starters earn the victory – his third of the Fall Classic that year – in relief.
This is baseball … baseball is so cool.
*Dodgers @ Blue Jays, World Series Game 7*
A day after working the first six innings for the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched the final two-and-two-thirds of Game 7: an 11-inning, 5-4 win for Los Angeles to give the club its ninth World Series title and make them the eighth different franchise to wear back-to-back crowns.
~Before 2025, the Dodgers had won World Series titles in 1955, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981, 1988, 2020 and 2024. The nine crowns tie the Dodgers with the Athletics and Red Sox for the third most, behind the Yankees (27) and Cardinals (11). And like the Red Sox and Athletics, the Dodgers have won back-to-back titles.
Consecutive World Series Titles
5 in Row
1949-1953 Yankees
4 in a Row
1936-1939 Yankees
3 in Row
1972-1974 Athletics
1998-2000 Yankees
2 in a Row
1907-1908 Cubs
1910-1911 Athletics
1915-1916 Red Sox
1921-1922 Giants
1927-1928 Yankees
1929-1930 Athletics
1961-1962 Yankees
1975-1976 Reds
1977-1978 Yankees
1992-1993 Blue Jays
2024-2025 Dodgers
~Deciding Game 7s in the World Series have played out 41 times (this is counting Game 8 in 1912, a necessary contest because of a tie earlier in this best-of-seven series). The first – in 1909 – was won by the visiting Pirates. The most recent – in 2025 – was won by the visiting Dodgers. The last five have all been won by the visiting team. Altogether, the home team is 19-22 in these 41 contests, with the most recent winner appearing out of the 2011 Fall Classic, when the Cardinals defeated the Rangers.
~This 2025 Game 7 was the sixth winner-take-all contest in the Fall Classic to extend beyond nine innings. Home team in CAPS …
1912: RED SOX defeat the Giants, 3-2, in 10 innings
1924: SENATORS defeat the Giants, 4-3, in 12 innings
1991: TWINS defeat the Braves, 1-0, in 10 innings
1997: MARLINS defeat the Indians, 3-2, in 11 innings
2016: Cubs defeat the INDIANS, 8-7, in 10 innings
2025: Dodgers defeat the BLUE JAYS, 5-4, in 11 innings
With his two-and-two-thirds-inning relief effort on zero days’ rest, Yamamoto recorded his third win of the 2025 World Series and joined 13 others as the ones to pocket a trio in one year. The first seven turned the trick during the Deadball Era and then once the Liveball Era got underway, things were a bit more spaced out. That’s how we’ll organize all 14 names here.
Deadball Era – 3 Wins in the World Series
1903 Bill Dineen and Deacon Phillippe
1905 Christy Mathewson
1909 Babe Adams
1910 Jack Coombs
1912 Smoky Joe Wood (including a win in the winner-take-all game, in relief)
1917 Red Faber
1920-2025 – 3 Wins in the World Series
1920 Stan Coveleski
1946 Harry Brecheen (including a win in the winner-take-all game, in relief)
1957 Lew Burdette
1967 Bob Gibson
1968 Mickey Lolich
2001 Randy Johnson (including a win in the winner-take-all game, in relief)
2025 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (including a win in the winner-take-all game, in relief)
With his two-and-two-thirds-inning relief effort on zero days’ rest, Yamamoto recorded his fifth win of the 2025 postseason to establish a new Dodgers record and match the best anyone has ever done. Across the Majors, it’s just Yamamoto, Randy Johnson in 2001, Francisco Rodríguez in 2002, Stephen Strasburg in 2019 and Nathan Eovaldi in 2023. Some additional details for all.
| Player | Team | W-L | ERA | Games | Starts | CG | IP | SO | WHIP | H/9 |
| Randy Johnson | 2001 D’Backs | 5-1 | 1.52 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 41.1 | 47 | 0.798 | 5.4 |
| Francisco Rodríguez | 2002 Angels | 5-1 | 1.93 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 18.2 | 28 | 0.804 | 4.8 |
| Stephen Strasburg | 2019 Nationals | 5-0 | 1.98 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 36.1 | 47 | 0.936 | 7.4 |
| Nathan Eovaldi | 2023 Rangers | 5-0 | 2.95 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 36.2 | 41 | 1.118 | 7.6 |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 2025 Dodgers | 5-1 | 1.45 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 37.1 | 33 | 0.777 | 5.5 |
~Yamamoto is one of 31 hurlers to reach 35.0 innings in any postseason. From lowest to highest ERA, the best 10 look like this:
0.95 John Smoltz over 38.0 IP in 1996
1.03 Madison Bumgarner over 52.2 IP in 2014
1.05 Orel Hershiser over 42.2 IP in 1988
1.12 Curt Schilling over 48.1 IP in 2001
1.45 Yoshinobu Yamamoto over 37.1 in 2025
1.52 Randy Johnson over 41.1 IP in 2001
1.53 Orel Hershiser over 35.1 IP in 1995
1.56 Cliff Lee over 40.1 IP in 2009
1.70 Greg Maddux over 37.0 IP in 1996
1.72 Gerrit Cole over 36.2 IP in 2019
For kicks:
★Pete Alexander in 1926. In Game 6 of the World Series, the righty allows two runs in a complete game to pick up the win. The next day, he enters in relief in seventh and works the final two-and-a-third innings to “save” the contest as his Cardinals win the title.
★Randy in Johnson in 2001. In Game 6 of the World Series, the lefty throws seven innings of two-run ball and picks up the win. The next night, he enters in relief in the eighth and works the final one-and-a-third innings to pick up the win as his Diamondbacks win the title.
★Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025. In Game 6 of the World Series, the righty throws six innings of one-run ball and picks up the win. The next night, he enters in relief in the ninth and works the final two-and-two-thirds innings to pick up the win as his Dodgers win the title.
With his Dodgers down to their final two outs in the ninth, Miguel Rojas delivered a solo home run to tie the game at four. The stuff of dreams – the stuff that coalesces quite rarely. There are three examples of a player in a winner-take-all World Series contest producing a game-tying or go-ahead hit in the ninth inning or later with his team trailing.
~In Game 8 in 1912, in the bottom of the 10th with one out, the Red Sox are down 2-1. There are runners on first and second when Tris Speaker singles off the Giants’ Christy Mathewson to drive in the tying run.
~In Game 7 in 2001, in the bottom of the ninth with one out, the Diamondbacks are down 2-1. There are runners on first and second when Tony Womack doubles off the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera to drive in the tying run.
~In Game 7 in 2025, in the top of the ninth with one out, the Dodgers are trailing 4-3. There are no runners on when Miguel Rojas homers off the Blue Jays’ Jeff Hoffman to produce the game-tying run.
Will Smith’s solo homer in the 11th gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead and made Smith a one of one – the first player ever to go yard in extra innings of a World Series winner-take-all contest. The 30-year-old catcher is at 10 career postseason home runs to go along with his 37 career postseason RBI. Both marks are top-five deposits for any catcher (at least 75% of games at catcher). In the longball department, he’s matched with Johnny Bench, Javy López and Travis d’Arnaud for fourth, behind Yogi Berra (12), Jorge Posada (11) and Jason Vartiek (11). In RBI, his 37 put him third, behind Posada (42) and Berra (39).
Max Muncy’s solo home run in the top of the eighth narrowed the Dodgers’ deficit to one and gave Muncy his 16th career postseason longball – all with the Dodgers.
~Muncy’s 16 tie him with Carlos Beltrán and his current teammates Freddie Freeman and Kiké Hernández for 19th all-time.
~Among the players to have hit at least 16 postseason homers, here are the ones who’ve had at least that many for one franchise:
27 Jose Altuve for the Astros
22 Bernie Williams for the Yankees
20 Derek Jeter for the Yankees
19 George Springer for the Astros
19 Alex Bregman for the Astros
18 Mickey Mantle for the Yankees
18 Albert Pujols for the Cardinals
18 Carlos Correa for the Astros
18 Giancarlo Stanton for the Yankees
17 Jim Thome for the Indians
17 David Ortiz for the Red Sox
17 Aaron Judge for the Yankees
16 Max Muncy for the Dodgers
A number of 2025 Dodgers joined a few franchise-forebears as players to play in at least three World Series in which their team won the whole thing.
4 Jim Gilliam (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965)
3 Johnny Podres (1955, 1959, 1963)
3 Don Drysdale (1959, 1963, 1965)
3 Ron Fairly (1959, 1963, 1965)
3 John Roseboro (1959, 1963, 1965)
3 Sandy Koufax (1959, 1963, 1965)
3 Maury Wills (1959, 1963, 1965)
3 Mookie Betts (2020, 2024-2025)
3 Kiké Hernández (2020, 2024-2025)
3 Max Muncy (2020, 2024-2025)
3 Will Smith (2020, 2024-2025)
3 Blake Treinen (2020, 2024-2025)
Shohei Ohtani, who went 2-for-5 with a walk in Game 7, completed his World Series with a .500 on-base percentage, a .778 slugging percentage and a 1.278 OPS (all team highs for 2025). There are 188 Dodgers who’ve amassed at least 12 plate appearances in a single World Series; Ohtani’s .500 OBP ranks in a tie for third highest, his .778 ranks as the seventh-highest slugging mark and his 1.278 the fourth-highest OPS.
George Springer singled three times and scored a run for the Blue Jays in the loss. His all-time postseason tallies and ranks:
57 runs: tied with Albert Pujols for ninth
93 hits: 10th, four behind Kenny Lofton, Chipper Jones and Albert Pujols
23 home runs: tied with Kyle Schwarber for third
44 extra-base hits: four behind Manny Ramírez and Jose Altuve for third
48 RBI: tied with Reggie Jackson and Corey Seager for 10th
183 total bases: the fifth most ever (he’s 37 behind Jose Altuve for fourth)
133 times on base: 14th, four behind Kenny Lofton and Justin Turner
83 games played: 21st, two behind Paul O’Neill, David Ortiz and Carlos Correa
Addison Barger went 2-for-4 with two walks. Ernie Clement went 3-for-5 with a double and a steal. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. went 1-for-5 with a double and a walk.
~Barger produced his sixth multi-hit game of this World Series to tie Sam Rice (1925) and Bill Skowron (1960) for the most in any one year. Curiously, all three did it for the losing team: Rice’s Senators and Skowron’s Yankees before Barger’s Blue Jays.
~Barger’s 12 hits in the 2025 World Series tie 17 others – including Clement this year and former Blue Jays Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar (both in 1993) for the fourth-most knocks in any Fall Classic. The teammate thing is interesting:
Teammates with 12+ Hits in the Same World Series
1979 Pirates Willie Stargell and Phil Garner
1993 Blue Jays Paul Molitor and Roberto Alomar
2014 Giants Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence
2025 Blue Jays Addison Barger and Ernie Clement
~For the entire postseason, Clement finished with 30 hits to establish a new high mark for a single postseason. He passed Randy Arozarena (29 in 2020) and finished just ahead of his teammate, Guerrero, Jr. (also with 29).
~For the entire postseason, Guerrero, Jr. closed his work with a .397/.494/.795/1.289 line. Among all players with at least 50 plate appearances in any postseason, his .397 average comes in tied for 10th, his .494 OBP 12th, his .795 SLG eighth and his 1.289 OPS fifth. That finish in OPS puts him behind Barry Bonds (1.559 in 2002), Carlos Beltrán (1.557 in 2004), Paul Molitor (1.378 in 1993) and Álex Rodríguez (1.308 in 2009). Let’s peer into the slash line for Molitor as compared to Guerrero, Jr., as both came while repping the Blue Jays.
Molitor in 1993: .447/.527/.851/1.378
Vlad in 2025: .397/.494/.795/1.289
~Guerrero ended his 2025 postseason with 58 total bases (second most all-time) and 44 times on base, the most ever (he edges Barry Bonds in 2002, who reached safely 43 times). An update of the Bonds v. Guerrero, Jr. tale of the tape from previously in the series:
Bonds in 2002: 44 TB, 43 ToB, 11 XBH (8 HR), 27 BB .356/.581/.978/1.559 in 17 Games (74 PA)
Vlad in 2025: 58 TB, 44 ToB, 13 XBH (8 HR), 14 BB .397/.494/.795/1.289 in 18 Games (89 PA)
~For the entire 2025 postseason, Guerrero, Jr. was one of four players to amass at least 50 plate appearances and close things out with a .300/.400/.500 line. Seattle’s Cal Raleigh was one other and Barger and Clement made the grades, too.
Most Players on a Team in a Postseason With a .300/.400/.500 Line (min. 50 plate appearances)
4 2007 Red Sox (Mike Lowell, David Ortiz, Manny Ramírez, Kevin Youkilis)
3 1995 Mariners (Jay Buhner, Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martínez)
3 1995 Braves (Marquis Grissom, Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff)
3 2009 Yankees (Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Álex Rodríguez)
3 2020 Astros (Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Carlos Correa)
3 2025 Blue Jays (Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.)
Finally, we’ll end with the man who threw the very pitch of this classic Fall Classic: Max Scherzer. At 41 years and 97 days old, the right-hander became the oldest starter in a World Series winner-take-all affair, out-wrinkling Tim Hudson, who was 39 years and 107 days old for the Giants in Game 7 of the 2014 Fall Classic.
Thanks to Baseball Reference and its extraordinary research database, Stathead, for help in assembling this piece.
Roger Schlueter
As Sr. Editorial Director for Major League Baseball Productions from 2004-2015, Roger served as a hub for hundreds of hours of films, series, documentaries and features: as researcher, fact-checker, script doctor, and developer of ideas. The years at MLB Production gave him the ideal platform to pursue what galvanized him the most – the idea that so much of what takes place on the field during the MLB regular and postseason (and is forever beautifully condensed into a box score) has connections to what has come before. Unearthing and celebrating these webs allows baseball to thrive, for the present can come alive and also reignite the past.