“To beat the champ, you’ve got to knock them out,” Fox commentator Joe Davis said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have accomplished something no MLB team has achieved in more than 25 years. The 1998–2000 New York Yankees were the last team to repeat as World Series champions.
The Dodgers ended that streak, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5–4 in 11 innings. Los Angeles cruised through most of the postseason but met real resistance against Toronto in a seven-game World Series. The Dodgers entered the matchup with a 9–1 playoff record and poured everything into the final series, ultimately securing their second straight title.
The Dodgers start their defending champion run against the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Wild Card clash.
The defending 2024 champion Los Angeles Dodgers began their postseason run as the No. 3 seed, earning a wild-card spot. A team that many believed should have been the unanimous No. 1 seed in both the National League and all of baseball instead dealt with injuries and tough losses, finishing 93-69. Still, they captured the NL West title for the 12th time in 13 seasons.
The Dodgers remained favorites as they secured home-field advantage against the No. 6 seed Cincinnati Reds. The series offered little suspense: Los Angeles swept Cincinnati in two games of the best-of-three wild-card round, outscoring the Reds 18-9 (10-5 in Game 1 and 8-4 in Game 2) at Dodger Stadium.
With the sweep, the Dodgers advanced to face the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers prove that seeding or Home-Field Advantage doesn’t matter against the Philadelphia Phillies
The Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-five National League Division Series. With Philadelphia holding home-field advantage, the Dodgers stunned the crowd by winning the first two games on the road. The Phillies responded with a dominant performance in Game 3, but the Dodgers bounced back. In a tense Game 4, Los Angeles walked it off in the ninth inning to clinch the series and advance to the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers shock sweep Brewers for 2nd straight World Series appearance
The Los Angeles Dodgers played their second straight road game as they opened the National League Championship Series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee had gone 6–0 against Los Angeles during the regular season, leading many to question whether the Dodgers’ postseason run would continue. But Los Angeles silenced the crowd, taking the first two games in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers’ four straight road wins marked an impressive postseason streak. Carrying that momentum into Game Three at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles secured another victory. Game Four featured a historic performance by Shohei Ohtani, who threw six innings with 10 strikeouts and three hits allowed, and went 3-for-3 with three home runs. The Dodgers advanced to their second straight World Series, the first team to do so since 2009.
Dodgers win back-to-back against Toronto Blue Jays In a seven-game thriller
The Los Angeles Dodgers faced a Toronto Blue Jays team seeking its first World Series title in 32 years. After splitting the opening two games, the Dodgers won an 18-inning marathon in Game 3, but Toronto answered by taking Games 4 and 5. Trailing 3-2 in the series, Los Angeles forced Game 7 with a key defensive play in the ninth inning of Game 6.
In Game 7, Shohei Ohtani surrendered a three-run homer to Bo Bichette in the first inning, but the Dodgers steadily cut into the deficit. Miguel Rojas tied the game in the ninth with his first postseason home run, and a leaping catch by Andy Pages sent it to extra innings. Will Smith gave Los Angeles its first lead with an 11th-inning homer, and a broken-bat grounder fielded by Mookie Betts ended it in the bottom half.
The Dodgers won their second straight championship, becoming MLB’s first back-to-back World Series winners since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees.
