by Cary Osborne
The scoops, the toe tap on home plate and utilizing Wills to win made up some of the little things that had to go right for the Dodgers to win the World Series.
The Dodgers won two World Series games by a one-run differential in extra innings and another one by a two-run differential on a game-ending double play.
With that small of a margin, there were so many plays and moves over the course of the seven-game series that had to go right.
Even moves or plays that weren’t made.
Manager Dave Roberts was interviewed on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday and was asked about if there was a move he didn’t make that ended up paying dividends for the Dodgers.
He said it was not pinch-hitting for Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of Game 7. Rojas is now a legend for his score-tying home run off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. The Dodgers ended up winning the game 5–4.
But these plays were made.
If one were paying close attention in late September, they may have noticed that right-hander Will Klein — who had been designated for assignment twice this year before being acquired in a trade from Seattle on June 2 — had quality stuff.
Klein was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City late in the year and pitched four scoreless outings from Sept. 20–26, striking out six of the 17 batters he faced and allowing just three baserunners.
The surprise addition to the World Series roster was thrust into action in the 15th inning of Game 4 and pitched four scoreless innings.
“No. Did you?” Klein responded when he was asked if he could have imagined being here at the beginning of the year.
Klein recorded two of the highest expected-batting-average-outs in the World Series — a line out by Nathan Lukes (.780 xBA) in the 18th inning and a Daulton Varsho ground out (.660 xBA) in the 16th inning.
Imagine if he didn’t hold or Freddie Freeman didn’t hit the walk-off homer in the bottom of the 18th.
The pitching plan would have been Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 19th and, if it came to it, Miguel Rojas in the 20th.
Things went right for the Dodgers and Klein played a big part in it.
“I grew up a Cubs fan, so we didn’t see a lot of World Series, but we got one,” Klein said on Monday at the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. “I used to think that was my favorite baseball moment. Now, I’d say this blows it out of the water.”
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Justin Dean, like Klein, had a similar response about whether someone would have told him at the beginning of the year that he’d be playing in a World Series game.
“I’d say you’re lying, but I appreciate you,” he said.
Dean also thought Triple-A Oklahoma City manager Scott Hennessey was lying to him in early August when he gave the 28-year-old outfielder the news that he was being called up to the big leagues for the first time.
Dean was a defensive replacement for Tommy Edman in center field in the ninth inning in Game 6. The ball found his location when Addison Barger — with a runner on and the Blue Jays trailing 3–1 — hit a ball into the left-center field gap. Dean agreed that the ball lodging between the warning track and the bottom of the wall was an act of God.
“That was the craziest chance of that ball getting lodged,” Dean said.
Dean saw left fielder Kiké Hernández throw his hands up, signaling a dead ball. Dean followed suit.
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A potential run-scoring extra-base hit became a ground-rule double.
That led to a critical play two batters later. Hernández initiated the game-ending double-play with his catch and throw in Game 6. The little part that was so big was Miguel Rojas slowing time and catching the ball on a hop.
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Rojas made another clutch defensive play with the bases loaded and the score tied 4–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series. But it was teamwork again.
Rojas, who homered in the top of the ninth to tie the score, fielded a Varsho ground ball that took his momentum back. He still managed a strong throw to catcher Will Smith, who was barely off the plate when he caught the throw. Smith then tapped home plate to get the force out of Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
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It’s incredible to fathom that the Dodgers had one more play in store in that inning.
Bases loaded and two outs. Andy Pages replaced Edman in center field before the Varsho at-bat. He was shaded slightly to the left side of second base for Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement. Clement walloped a Yamamoto pitch, driving it deep to left center field with a 100.7 mph exit velocity off the bat.
Left fielder Hernández chased to try and make what would have had to be an over-the-shoulder catch. Pages, like a wide receiver trying to catch a jump-ball in coverage, ended a 123-foot sprint with a catch over his teammate.
It saved the season.
2025 World Series: Critical Fall Classic moments that saved the Dodgers’ season was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.