The Blue Jays Fall Short in World Series Game Seven Against the LA Dodgers

Sometimes we do things the easy way, and at other times, the hard way. After the Jays’ seven game triumph over the Seattle Mariners, they decided on the hard way in their World Series matchup with the LA Dodgers! But they sadly fell short of their goal.

In game one, the Jays kicked things off at home with the young and brilliant Trey Yesavage on the mound holding the Dodgers to 4 as the Jays scored 11, 4 of those runs from the pinch-hitting Addison Barger’s grand slam in the bottom of the sixth! With Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, the Dodgers battled back in game two in Toronto, holding the Jays to 1 run while they scored 5.

The series shifted to Los Angeles and in game three the Jays suffered a painful loss of 6 to 5 after a walk-off home run by Canadian-adjacent Dodger Freddie Freeman (both of his parents were born in Ontario) in a gruelling eighteen inning game which matched the record for the longest World Series game in history. Game four saw the Jays surge to a 6 to 2 win in Los Angeles with Shane Bieber on the mound, ensuring that the Dodgers would have to face them again back in Toronto.

The Jays then won game five in LA outscoring the Dodgers 6 to 1. Twenty-two-year-old pitching phenom Trey Yesavage was back on the mound for the Jays in LA, conjuring up a record breaking twelve strikeouts to make history as only the second pitcher in World Series history to record ten or more strikeouts through the first five innings.

Back in Toronto for game six at the Rogers Centre after one day off, the Dodgers prevailed in a low scoring game that ended 3 to 1. The headlines in game six were clearly about pitching with Kevin Gausman on the mound for the Jays and Yamamoto back at it for the Dodgers. But it was not that the Jays did not get their hits, they had 5, they just didn’t string enough together in any one inning to produce more than 1 run.

So what did the series look like? Battered, bruised, and assaulted by pitches and injury, veteran George Springer led by example, playing through his pain (he was forced to sit out games 2-5) to log two singles in game 6. Giménez did his share driving in the most runs after Vladdy and Kirkie. What’s more, Bo Bichette came back with a vengeance, logging six hits in the first six games after returning from a left knee strain that had him on the bench for seven weeks! Dominican Canadian Vladdy produced in a big way with seven hits in the first six games. (Going into game six, he’d also hit .412 registering eight home runs in the post-season!) But what’s more, Vladdy’s never say die mentality, vibrant energy, and profound faith, pumps up his teammates. And you best believe when he howls and flexes the Jays’ loyal fans can feel his energy in the stadium and from coast-to-coast-to-coast!

So, what about game seven? Well, the Jays struck first getting on the score board with a three-run Bichette home run with Springer on from a single and Vladdy put on by the Dodgers in a deliberate walk. Shohei Ohtani was pulled after only 2 and 1/3  innings of pitching! The Dodgers scored their first run in the top of the fourth when Teoscar Hernández drove one in by slapping one into centre field which Varsho laid out for. After that Vladdy turned the lights out by laying out for a line drive down the first base line.

In the bottom of the fourth, with one on, Jay’s manager John Schneider pulled starting pitcher Max Scherzer for Varland after 4 and 1/3 innings. But Ohtani hit a single to make it two on base for the Dodgers. Then the Dodgers got a run and stranded 2 to take the score to 3 to 2. However, Varland got Freddie Freeman to pop up to centre for the third out for the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, after Dodger’s pitcher Wrobleski hit Giménez, the benches cleared for a little high-stakes, testosterone-laced posturing before Springer got on with a rocket of a single hit straight back at Wrobleski which ricocheted off his legs. Unfortunately, Vladdy’s pop fly to the outfield ended the inning leaving runners stranded.

In the bottom of the sixth, after Ernie Clement singled and stole second base, Giménez punched him in with a double, bringing the score to 4 to 2. (We should mention that, at this point in the game, Giménez was 8 for 19 with runners on base!)

In the top of the seventh, it was the Blue Jays fielding talents on display yet again when Vladdy nabbed a Freddie Freeman single off a bounce and threw to Clement at second base before Clement fired it back to Vladdy for a 6-4-3 double play!

With one out, the Dodger’s Max Muncy came up and ploughed a home run into the right field stands, after which Jays’ manager Schneider pulled Yesavage.

In the bottom of the eighth, Clement being Clement, blasted a record-breaking double into centre left to break the single-postseason record with his 30th hit. But he got stranded on base and the score remained 4 to 3 Jays.

Then came the ninth with Hoffman pitching and Kiké Hernández up first for the Dodgers. After Hernández  was out, Miguel Rojas hit a home run to tie it up at 4 to 4!

But as the bottom of the ninth arrived, it was Vladdy first up to bat. But he flied out to deep centre. Next Bo singled, but with his bad knee, Schneider made the call to replace him with  Kiner-Falefa as the base runner. Then it was Addison Barger’s chance to bring it home. After he fouled an inside pitch off his leg, he patiently drew a walk. Then Dodger’s manager Dave Roberts called for Yoshinobu Yamamoto (the pitcher who’d started game 6) to face Kirkie. But after Yamamoto hit Kirkie with a pitch, it was Varsho’s turn to bat. But a tepid single at Rojas allowed him to throw it home to get Kiner-Falefa out at home plate. Next came Dodger sub Andy Pages who snagged a towering Clement blast to deep left centre field by ploughing into teammate Kiké Hernández. The game was headed to extra innings!

In the top of the tenth, when the Dodgers loaded the bases, an infield single to short allowed Giménez to throw home to Kirkie to cut down the runner. Then Vladdy and Seranthony Dominguez teamed up to get Hernández at first, allowing the Jays to bat in the bottom of the inning. (By then, we’d suffered multiple heart attacks!)

Then came a top of the eleventh Will Straw home run to centre left, making it Dodgers 5 to 4. In the bottom of the eleventh with a 2 and 2 count, Vladdy smoked one into left for a double. Kiner-Falefa’s perfectly placed bunt then allowed Vladdy to advance to third. But after Barger was walked, with one out, Kirkie hit into a double play to end the game.

As our hearts break for our talented and dedicated Jays, we treasure the thrills, spills, and extraordinary excitement this band of brothers brought us throughout this amazing 2025 season. Although the loss is gut-wrenching, we salute them for giving all of Canada, from coast-to-coast-to-coast,  and Canadians everywhere much-needed hope and joy in these trying times. We love you Blue Jays!