The 2025 World Series concluded with the Los Angeles Dodgers completing an improbable comeback in extra innings to win back-to-back titles and cement their dynasty.
After an early three-run deficit, the Dodgers tied the game with one out in the ninth inning on a solo homer from Miguel Rojas to keep their hopes alive. With the score tied at 4-4, Will Smith blasted a go-ahead home run in the 11th inning.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the mound, pitching on no days of rest, trying to close out the game in the bottom half of the inning, but allowed a leadoff double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a one-out walk to Addison Barger. At the time, Clayton Kershaw was warming up in the bullpen, and he likely would have entered the game after Yamamoto faced Alejandro Kirk.
But instead, Yamamoto got Kirk to ground into a double play to clinch the World Series title for the Dodgers and causing all the players and coaches to burst into celebration — except one.
While Kershaw was warming up, he was unaware the Dodgers won the World Series until bullpen coach Josh Bard informed him of the final out, he said during the “On Base With Mookie Betts” podcast on Bleacher Report:
“I had no idea we won the World Series. I was warming up, and I saw Vladdy hit the double, so I started getting going faster. I didn’t see Kiner-Falefa bunted. I didn’t see that. So I saw Barger is on first with the walk, so Kirk grounds into the double play, and I’m thinking, two outs, run scores, game is tied. We’ve got a lefty, Varsho up, I’m in the game. And then Bardo is in my face, ‘Why are you throwing? It’s over. We won the World Series.’
“He was the one telling me we won the World Series. I looked out and I looked at him, and he said, ‘We won the World Series!’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK. That’s great.’ I had no idea.”
The double play also came with a runner on third, so had the Dodgers not turned it, the game would have been tied with Kershaw entering to face Daulton Varsho. Instead, he never entered the game as Yamamoto finished it off with 2.2 scoreless innings the day after throwing 96 pitches during Game 6.
That also meant Kershaw retired as a three-time World Series champion, and the final pitch he threw got the Dodgers out of a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning of Game 3, which they went on to win in the 18th inning on a walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman.
Game 3 was the only time Kershaw pitched in the World Series, and it was one of just two appearances he made in the postseason. His other came in a mop up role against the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series.
Clayton Kershaw thankful for World Series appearance
If not for Kershaw getting Nathan Lukes to ground out with the bases loaded in Game 3, the game potentially ends six innings earlier and prevents Freeman’s walk-off homer from giving the Dodgers a 6-5 win.
It ended up being Kershaw’s final appearance in a Dodgers uniform, and he wouldn’t have it any other way as he was thankful for the opportunity and grateful to get the job done.
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