We’re borrowing, with permission, from sensible author Steve Rushin, the lede from his sport story in Sports activities Illustrated from the 1991 World Sequence between the Twins and Braves. The reality is inelastic in relation to the 88th World Sequence. It’s unimaginable to stretch. It is not essential to appraise the 9 days simply previous from some distant horizon of historic perspective. Allow us to name this World Sequence what it’s, now, whereas its seven video games nonetheless ring in our ears: the best that was ever performed.
With apologies to 1991, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays simply completed the best World Sequence. Not as a result of all of the video games had been nice — some weren’t. All had been flawed, however all had been marvelously enjoyable, attention-grabbing and entertaining. It was the best World Sequence due to its compelling storylines, a few of which had been unimaginable to imagine: an 18-inning sport, a historic pitching efficiency by a 22-year-old, the primary pinch-hit grand slam in World Sequence historical past, the primary World Sequence sport to start with back-to-back house runs, the primary game-ending, 7-4 double play in World Sequence historical past. It featured a weird, three-pitch opera from a pitcher who hadn’t labored in reduction in seven years, the ultimate main league sport for the best pitcher of this period and a Recreation 7 for the ages, for all ages, a masterpiece that includes an unforgettable, ironman pitching efficiency that we’d by no means see once more.
The Blue Jays, who completed final within the American League East in 2024, had been within the World Sequence for the primary time since repeating as world champions in 1992 and 1993. The Dodgers had been making an attempt to turn into the primary staff to repeat as world champions for the reason that New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000. In Recreation 7, Toronto began Max Scherzer, 41, the oldest pitcher to start out a Recreation 7, the person who additionally began the final Recreation 7 — in 2019 for the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers began essentially the most exceptional participant within the historical past of baseball, Shohei Ohtani, who was engaged on three days’ relaxation. Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so dominant on this postseason, known as it “the most important day of my life in baseball.”
Recreation 7 was epic, one among solely six Recreation 7s of the World Sequence to go further innings. The Dodgers fell behind 3-0 however gained 5-4 in 11 breathtaking innings, partly as a result of Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts used all 4 of his aces, Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and the World Sequence MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto threw 96 pitches the day earlier than in profitable Recreation 6, then miraculously pitched the ultimate 2⅔ innings of Recreation 7, throwing 34 pitches, to turn into the fourth pitcher to win Recreation 6 and Recreation 7 of the World Sequence. It was one of many biggest pitching performances in World Sequence historical past.
“He is without doubt one of the biggest pitchers on the planet,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith stated. “What he did tonight was wonderful.”
It was Smith’s house run off Shane Bieber within the eleventh inning that supplied the profitable run, and made it six years in a row {that a} participant named Will Smith has been part of a World Sequence-winning staff. And but Smith’s game-winning homer wasn’t the most important homer of the evening for the Dodgers. Second baseman and No. 9 hitter Miguel Rojas, who helped win Recreation 6 with 4 terrific defensive performs, stunningly homered with one out within the ninth inning off Blue Jays nearer Jeff Hoffman to tie the rating, Rojas’ first extra-base hit of the postseason. Rojas joined Corridor of Famer Invoice Mazeroski in 1960 as the one gamers in World Sequence historical past to hit a game-winning or game-tying house run within the ninth inning of a Recreation 7.
It was a devastating loss for the Blue Jays, who performed so exceptionally properly within the first 5 video games. They scored essentially the most runs (105) in a single postseason of any staff in historical past, however after they wanted to get a giant hit, they did not: In Recreation 6, they went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring place; in Recreation 7, they went 3-for-17. Do not blame infielder Ernie Clement, whose 30 hits had been essentially the most hits ever by any participant in a single postseason. Within the ninth inning, he was robbed of a World Sequence-winning hit when heart fielder Andy Pages, a defensive substitute, made a spectacular leaping catch in left-center subject with two outs and the bases loaded. An inning later, Clement, an excellent defensive infielder who makes use of a Mizuno glove that he purchased from an aged Japanese lady on eBay, put his arm round Blue Jays dugout reporter Hazel Mae when he observed that her head was down in disappointment when the Blue Jays did not win within the ninth.
“Are you OK?” Clement requested her. “You are going to be OK. Don’t be concerned. We will be OK, too. Don’t be concerned.”
This collection was filled with fear. The one option to attempt to make sense of those disturbing seven video games is to view them chronologically. In Recreation 1, the Blue Jays began Trey Yesavage, who made his main league debut Sept. 15. Yesavage pitched 4 innings in an 11-4 victory in Recreation 1, which featured Bo Bichette’s first sport since Sept. 6 — he singled in his first at-bat on a 3-0 pitch. Bichette, Toronto’s main shortstop, performed second base for the primary time in his main league profession, marking the primary time since 1931 that an infielder began a World Sequence sport at a place he had by no means performed within the massive leagues.
The sport was damaged open within the sixth on a pinch-hit grand slam — a primary in World Sequence historical past — by Addison Barger, who slept the evening earlier than on a pullout sofa within the resort room of teammate Davis Schneider. “I wakened on my pal’s sofa the morning of the sport, and after the sport, the Corridor of Fame requested me for my spikes,” Barger stated.
The aptly named Barger, one among a number of Toronto gamers who grew to become folks heroes in October, was requested why he swings so exhausting on each pitch.
“I used to be the smallest child on our staff — I used to be 4-foot-10 as a freshman, I used to be 5-feet, 90 kilos as a sophomore,” he stated. “My dad had me play up. I used to be a small 13-year-old enjoying towards 18-year-olds. My solely hope was to swing as exhausting as I might.”
Recreation 2 featured the exceptional Yamamoto, who, amongst different preparations for his fixed chase of the right pitch, throws a javelin earlier than video games and does an insane stretching routine that’s painful simply to observe. He silenced the relentless Blue Jays lineup on 4 hits to turn into the primary pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2001 to throw back-to-back full video games in a single postseason. “He’s exhausting to hit as a result of he has elite command, his supply is misleading, the whole lot comes out of the identical arm slot and he’s brief [5-foot-10],” stated Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. “With Justin Verlander [who is tall and has a high release point], you’ll be able to see his fastball popping out of the sky. With [Yamamoto], you’ll be able to’t see it as a result of he’s brief.”
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw stated, “If I might do it over once more, I might throw a javelin in between begins.”
Kershaw, the best pitcher of his technology, pitched in Recreation 3. He was one among 19 pitchers, 10 of them Dodgers (a report quantity for a World Sequence sport), to work the 18-inning sport, which lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes and included 609 pitches. It’s tied (in innings) for the longest World Sequence sport, matching 2018’s Recreation 3 between the Boston Pink Sox and Dodgers, additionally at Dodger Stadium. In 2018, Max Muncy gained the sport with a walk-off homer within the 18th. Freddie Freeman gained this one — changing into the primary participant in main league historical past to hit two walk-off house runs within the World Sequence.
“If Freddie did not finish with a homer, I might have,” Muncy stated, laughing, the subsequent day. “So wonderful. A primary baseman leads off the 18th with a walk-off homer on a 3-2 pitch. Identical as I did [in 2018].”
Muncy agreed that if he had hit one other 18th-inning, walk-off homer seven years later, “your head would have exploded.”
And but, Freeman wasn’t the most important star of the sport. Ohtani had 9 plate appearances and reached base 9 occasions: Nobody in World Sequence historical past had reached seven occasions in a single sport. Solely 4 others in main league historical past had reached base 9 occasions in a sport, common or postseason. Ohtani hit two doubles and two house runs in his first 4 at-bats — the second participant with 4 extra-base hits in a World Sequence sport — and walked his remaining 5 plate appearances, 4 of them deliberately, one other World Sequence report. Till that sport, solely Albert Pujols in 2011 had been walked deliberately with the bases empty in a World Sequence sport. And Ohtani did it 3 times, together with twice in a three-inning span.
“I imply, actually, 9-for-9? Are you kidding me?” Freeman stated in amazement. “Solely Shohei might do this.”
And but Ohtani wasn’t one of the best story of the sport, both. Will Klein, who had thrown 22 innings in his main league profession, pitched the ultimate 4 scoreless innings to get the victory.
“I seemed round within the 14th inning and realized I used to be the one one left within the pen,” he stated.
Klein spent the primary three rounds of the playoffs within the Get Scorching Camp in Arizona, the place Dodger gamers practice simply in case they should be added to the roster due to an damage. He threw a simulated sport at Dodger Stadium earlier than the World Sequence and threw strikes. “[The Dodgers] known as me and advised me to go to Toronto,” Klein stated. “I did not suppose there was any likelihood I would be activated; I believed I used to be only a taxi squad man. Then, they advised me that I used to be going to be activated for the World Sequence. I believed . . . candy!”
Klein threw 72 pitches, twice as many as he had thrown in a significant league sport, in Recreation 3.
“I received lots of and lots of of textual content messages after the sport, some from folks I did not know,” Klein stated. Sandy Koufax, the legendary Dodger pitcher, got here into the clubhouse after the sport to congratulate him.
“I did not know what to say, I might barely converse,” Klein stated. “I imply. . .he’s Sandy Koufax!”
Recreation 4 featured — once more — the greatness of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Within the third inning, he gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer off Ohtani, a wonderful at-bat for the expansion of the sport. It was two of the most important stars in baseball — one from the Dominican Republic, however born in Canada, the opposite from Japan — going head-to-head on the most important stage in baseball. Guerrero gained this confrontation, as he gained most matchups within the postseason: He hit .397 with 8 house runs, 15 RBIs and solely 7 strikeouts, astounding on this strikeout period. And now, the world is aware of that Guerrero, 26, is not some lumbering, unathletic first baseman. He has a fantastic intuition for the sport. He has gained a Gold Glove at first base, he’s a finalist for one more this yr and he made two nice defensive performs in Recreation 7. He is also a well-above-average runner.
“Someday in July, I went to Vladdy with a bar chart that I put collectively about nice gamers and their operating pace, and the best way they run the bases,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider stated. “The graph had [Aaron] Decide, [Manny] Machado and Vladdy. I requested him, ‘Who’s the quickest of those three?’ He did not know. I stated, ‘Vladdy, you’re.”’
Guerrero’s homer off Ohtani gave the Blue Jays the lead for good, however they tacked on 4 runs within the seventh to seal the win. The largest hit was supplied by Clement, who personifies the gritty Blue Jays. He was launched by the A’s in 2022 after going 1-for-18. He made a swing change in 2023, and that has resulted in him changing into a top quality every-day participant within the main leagues.
“Ernie shoots 65 in golf,” Davis Schneider stated. “He is a type of guys who is nice at the whole lot. Hockey. pingpong. All the pieces.”
Davis Schneider, who was almost launched 3 times within the minor leagues, additionally personifies the gutsy Blue Jays. “All the blokes on this staff took a unique path to get right here,” he stated. “It is one purpose we’re right here.”
Schneider, hitting leadoff in Recreation 5 because of the intercostal damage to DH George Springer, led off the sport with a homer off Snell, who had allowed one homer in his earlier 50 innings. Guerrero adopted with one other homer, marking the primary time in historical past that the primary two hitters homered in a World Sequence sport.
That was loads for Yesavage, who was making his eighth main league begin, 5 within the postseason, to hitch Joe Black (1952) as the one pitchers in historical past to start out extra video games within the postseason than they’d of their regular-season careers. Yesavage was unhittable for seven innings. He grew to become the primary rookie to strike out 12 in a World Sequence sport. He grew to become the primary pitcher to strike out 12 and never stroll a batter in a Sequence sport. He joined Koufax as the one pitchers with 10 strikeouts within the first 5 innings of a World Sequence sport.
“I by no means met him till he received right here [Sept. 15]. I may need met him in spring coaching, but when I did, I do not bear in mind,” Davis Schneider stated. “Now, he is doing wonderful issues. He’s such a modest dude strolling across the clubhouse. He has made one of the best hitters on the planet seem like they’ve by no means swung a bat earlier than.”
Recreation 6 was a basic — not on the Recreation 6 stage of Buckner in 1986, Puckett in 1991, Freese in 2011, Fisk in 1975 or Carter in 1993, however its end was jarring. Yamamoto began. One Blue Jay stated earlier than the sport, “We all know he’s on a 1,000-pitch depend tonight.” As a substitute, Yamamoto was taken out after six innings and 96 pitches with a 3-1 lead. Roki Sasaki had a shaky eighth inning, then hit Alejandro Kirk to start out the ninth. Barger adopted with a ringing line drive to left-center subject. The ball impossibly lodged between the padding on the outfield wall and the warning monitor. Dodgers heart fielder Justin Dean, cued by left fielder Enrique Hernandez, threw up his palms in hopes the umpires would rule it an computerized two bases, which they did.
“I’ve by no means seen a ball get lodged in there,” John Schneider stated.
“I’ve tried to wedge a ball in there,” Davis Schneider stated. “And I could not do it.”
“I stroll each stadium earlier than each collection to see what would possibly come up,” Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel stated. “I walked that outfield space, and I stated, ‘That is clear. Nothing can get caught in there.’ Then, it did.”
It was a foul break for the Blue Jays, who may need scored a run on that play, and Barger may need made it to 3rd with no outs if the ball had caromed as a substitute of plugged. In got here Glasnow, who was supposed to start out Recreation 7, however as a substitute was summoned for his first reduction look since 2018. He received Clement to come out to first base on the primary pitch. Two pitches later, Andres Gimenez hit a mushy liner to left.
“I believed, ‘Please do not drop, please do not drop,”’ Glasnow stated.
Hernandez, a pure infielder, charged the ball like an infielder, caught it within the air on the run and made a rapid throw to Rojas, who made a terrific catch. Barger was doubled off second base, one of many greatest baserunning errors in World Sequence historical past: It’s the solely postseason sport to finish on a 7-4 double play. Due to Hernandez and Rojas, Glasnow received three outs on three pitches for his first profession save.
“The [defensive metric] card had me enjoying shallow on that play, however I then moved in seven ft,” Hernandez. “If he hits it over my head, I’ll dwell with the results. I used to be not going to let a ball land in entrance of me. I belief my instincts over a pc any day.”
“It was a foul learn by me,” Barger stated.
The unhealthy learn arrange one of many biggest Recreation 7s in World Sequence historical past, one which cemented the Dodgers’ dynasty. They gained their third World Sequence on this decade and have become the primary staff for the reason that Yankees in 1953-58 to win three World Sequence and have a profitable share of .630 in a six-year span. The Blue Jays did one thing equally essential on this postseason: They confirmed the world how the sport may be performed, with elite protection, placing balls in play, treating each at-bat like a fistfight, valuing the hit, not simply the house run, and taking the sport to the opponent. Additionally they confirmed that character, chemistry and camaraderie within the clubhouse, and on the sector, are vastly valued.
“I simply performed a season with my 30 finest pals,” Clement stated after dropping Recreation 7. “I simply completed crying for about an hour. That is the closest staff I’ve ever been on. I simply love coming to work with these guys.”
There has by no means been a foul learn by my pal Steve Rushin, from whom I borrowed the lede to his epic story from the epic 1991 World Sequence. He had watched this postseason from afar, and like so many individuals throughout the nation, throughout the globe, he marveled at Ohtani, Yamamoto, Yesavage, Glasnow, Vladdy, Ernie, and all the opposite stars, storylines and sensational performs that produced the best World Sequence ever.
He texted me earlier than Recreation 7.
Talking for all baseball followers, it learn: “What a time to be alive.”