Every fall, in the midst of the college and NFL football seasons, baseball steals the spotlight at the end of October. This year, all of the spotlight was on the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, as they battled tooth and nail for the Commissioner’s Trophy.
The road to the finals wasn’t easy, and the Dodgers stood strong throughout the test. To enter the playoffs, the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card round in a clean sweep. In the first official round of the playoffs, the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the first two games of the series. They were then thrown a curveball when the Phillies won game three 8-2 as Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh combined for 3 home runs. The Dodgers stayed alive in game four, winning the series in a chippy 1-2 win. Moving to the next round, they swept the Milwaukee Brewers to reach the finals.
The Blue Jays had an easier street, as they did not play in the first round of the playoffs. This upper hand was a result of the team securing their postseason berth by finishing first in the AL East, which grants them a bye. Their playoff journey thus began playing the New York Yankees, where, like the Dodgers, they went up by two at the beginning of the series. In game three, the Yankees pulled a 9-6 win, which featured a combined two home runs from Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.. The Blue Jays came back to win the series in game four in a 5-2 win. The Seattle Mariners were their next opponent up to the plate, and they showed the Blue Jays their first real trouble as they took the series by two. The next two games went to the Blue Jays as the series was now tied, going into game five, where the Mariners took the lead back. With the series at 3-2, the Blue Jays stayed alive, pushing the series to a game seven thriller, won by a score.
The stage was set for the MLB World Series as the Dodgers and the Blue Jays were set to go at the Rogers Center in Toronto. The Blue Jays used the home advantage to win the first game 11-4. After the game, Dodgers ace Blake Snell said it was “just a tough game” and that the Dodgers had “a lot to learn,” after recording just 15 outs himself. Dave Roberts, a former outfielder, coach, and current Dodgers manager, said, “We didn’t make pitches when we needed to to keep the game close.”
Despite the tough loss, the Dodgers came back to win the second and third games of the series, inching them closer to the finish line. These wins were followed by two standout performances by the Blue Jays, as they took the series lead back to 3-2. With the Blue Jays only having to win one more game to hoist the trophy, the Dodgers knew they had to give them their biggest fright in game six, played on Halloween night. They did so, with a two-run single by Mookie Betts, a great game from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and a game-ending double play by Kike Hernandez. After the game, Hernandez said, “It’s been a heck of a series, why not play a game seven?”
Then came the day for game seven, where it could’ve gone either way. The Blue Jays took an early lead with Bo Bichette’s three-run homer in the third inning. This move gave the Blue Jays the lead for most of the game, giving fans hope. This was washed away when, at the top of the ninth inning, Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying home run to force extra innings when the Dodgers were down by one. Rojas also made a crucial play in the bottom of the ninth to prevent the Blue Jays from making a game-winning run. Millbrook teacher Derek Blackwelder said that “The series was exciting, it had everything. A team from Canada, an 18 inning game and the greatest player Shohei Ohtani!”
After a dramatic nine innings, there were extra innings on tap. At the top of the eleventh inning, Will Smith hit a go-ahead home run to pull the Dodgers to a lead. This led to the Dodgers sealing the win, as they closed out the game with a stellar defensive play. After the game, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said, “Everything was so fun, and I think even on both sides, their team, our team, I think we had an amazing game.” Congratulations are in order for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they bring home the Commissioner’s!
