Nov 5, 2025 - Nov 22, 2025
On November 1, 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays played one of the most epic Game 7s in World Series history. After Bo Bichette’s three-run shot put the Blue Jays up 3-0 in the third inning, the Dodgers clawed their way back as they had done all series. By the time the top of the ninth inning rolled around, Toronto was holding a tight 4-3 lead with their closer Jeff Hoffman trying to put the finishing touches on the Blue Jays’ first title in 32 years. With one out, the Dodgers’ light-hitting infielder Miguel Rojas hit a hanging slider into the left-field bleachers to tie the game at 4-4, silencing the Blue Jays faithful inside Rogers Centre.
After two stellar defensive plays by the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth to keep it tied, the game headed into extra innings. It was still knotted at 4-4 in the top of the 11th when catcher Will Smith came to the plate with two outs. The Blue Jays had former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber on the mound, and Smith launched the third pitch he saw 366 feet over the left field wall to put the Dodgers up 5-4. “You dream of those moments,” Smith said. “Extra innings, put your team ahead? Yeah, I’ll remember that one forever.”
That was the Dodgers’ first lead of Game 7, and in bottom of the 11th Yoshi Yamamoto closed it out to complete the back-to-back World Series feat. “We just never gave up, kept fighting, pitching our [butts] off, hitting, taking great at-bats, finally punched through there,” Smith said. “Man, that was a fight for seven games.” No player during the thrilling seven-game series epitomized that fight like Smith, who caught all 18 innings of Game 3’s longest ever World Series game. Yamamoto was named MVP of the series, but that honor could have easily gone to the Dodgers’ All-Star backstop.
Blue Jays fans left the stadium that night feeling deflated after their beloved team had lost in such agonizing fashion – everyone, that is, except a father and son sitting in the left-field bleachers. As improbable as Rojas’ homer was in the ninth, it was borderline miraculous that John and Matthew Bains snagged each clutch homer hit by Will Smith and Miguel Rojas. What are the odds?
Smith’s home run ball bounced once in the Dodgers bullpen before ending up in the left-field bleachers. Matthew bobbled the ball at first when it bounced up into stands, but he eventually corralled it on video. Just like his father had done, Matthew also switched baseballs and threw back a different ball, one he had received a few innings earlier from the Blue Jays bullpen catcher. Bains immediately knew he had a special piece of baseball history and was not about to throw away a lottery ticket.
It should be noted that the Bains’ season tickets are purposefully located in the left-field bleachers to give them a chance at catching home run balls. In fact, just a few weeks earlier, they had already caught home runs hit by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement in the ALDS vs. the Yankees.
The Official 2025 World Series (Rob Manfred) baseball displays obvious game use from the Will Smith homer. A notarized affidavit signed by Matthew Bains is included, certifying that this is indeed the ball. For additional security, Matthew passed a polygraph test, the results of which are available upon request.
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