The World Series has long been a 2-3-2 format, and when a team loses its first two games on the road, a home clincher is impossible. That’s how it happened for the Dodgers in 1955, 1965 and 1981. In all three of those championship runs, they recovered to sweep their home games, then wrapped things up on the road in Game 6 or 7.

Thanks to their sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the World Series after taking home the title a year ago. The Dodgers are in their fifth World Series in the past ten years, with a chance to win their third title since 2020.

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to defend their World Series title when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Friday.

Yet two swings by Will Smith did, and that was the very narrow margin between Gausman and Los Angeles Dodgers stalwart Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as Smith’s go-ahead home run in the seventh inning broke up a fantastic pitching duel and Yamamoto pitched a four-hitter, lifting the Dodgers to an eventual 5-1 victory at Rogers Centre.

Before the 2025 MLB World Series begins on Friday night, here's what the Rotoworld crew thinks of the matchup between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.