TORONTO — Will Smith’s home run in the 11th inning, following Miguel Rojas’s game-tying shot in the ninth, propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 on Saturday night. This win marked the Dodgers as the first team in 25 years to secure back-to-back World Series championships.

The Dodgers showcased resilience by overcoming 3-0 and 4-2 deficits. They narrowly avoided a bases-loaded crisis in the ninth inning, securing their place as the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Yankees’ three-peat from 1998 to 2000, and the first from the National League since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976.

Smith seized the moment by launching a 2-0 slider from Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, handing the Dodgers their inaugural lead of the night.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had delivered 96 pitches in Friday’s victory, expertly navigated a bases-loaded predicament in the ninth and pitched 2 2/3 innings to earn his third win of the Series.

In the 11th inning, he allowed a leadoff double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was then advanced to third. Addison Barger received a walk, and Alejandro Kirk hit a ground ball to shortstop Mookie Betts, who initiated a championship-clinching 6-4-3 double play.

With their ninth title and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who was pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.

Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.

Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Tyler Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.

Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.

Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Blake Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.

He hit Alejandro Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.

Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.

Seranthony Domínguez walked Mookie Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. First baseman Guerrero then threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.

The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.