By Frank Pingue
TORONTO (Reuters) -The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in extra innings of a decisive seventh game of the World Series early on Sunday to become Major League Baseball’s first repeat champion in 25 years.
The Dodgers, who were down to their final two outs when Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, got what proved to be the winning run in the 11th inning when Will Smith hit a solo homer off Shane Bieber.
“I was fired up. I knew we needed to get a run there and to be able to come up clutch there, that was huge,” said Smith.
“You dream of those moments. Extra innings, put your team ahead, I’ll remember that for forever.”
YAMAMOTO MVP
The Blue Jays, seeking their first World Series title in 32 years, had a chance in the bottom of the frame with runners on first and third with one out, but Alejandro Kirk grounded into a double play that ended the game.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw a complete game in Game Two, allowed one run through six innings in Game Six and pitched 2-2/3 shutout innings in the decider, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.
Los Angeles, who had fallen behind 3-2 in the series and faced elimination for the first time this postseason, won two games on the road in consecutive days to secure their third World Series title in the last six years.
The victory also spoiled party plans in Canada where fans of the country’s only MLB team were eager to celebrate from coast to coast what would have been the Blue Jays’ first World Series title in 32 years.
Toronto second baseman Bo Bichette put the Blue Jays on the board in the third inning with a three-run blast off Shohei Ohtani before the Dodgers responded in the fourth on a Teoscar Hernandez sacrifice fly.
BENCHES-CLEARING MELEE
Tempers flared in the bottom of the frame when Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez, after nearly being hit twice by a pitch, took a Justin Wrobleski fastball to the hand.
The two players began jawing at each other, sparking a benches-clearing melee on the field before the umpires sent everyone back to their respective dugouts while warnings were put in place for both teams.
Los Angeles pulled to within one in the sixth on a Tommy Edman sacrifice fly that scored Mookie Betts but the Blue Jays restored their two-run cushion in the bottom half on a Gimenez double that scored Ernie Clement.
‘VERY LUCKY’
A Max Muncy solo-shot off Trey Yesavage in the eighth cut the Toronto lead to 4-3 before the Rojas blast tied the game at 4-4 and silenced the home crowd.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the ninth with one out but were unable to cash in, as the Dodgers got Isiah Kiner-Falefa out at home before Clement flied out to centre.
“We were very lucky to win it,” said Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Additional reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Jamie Freed and Lincoln Feast.)
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