Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets

Lore & Background

For the second year in a row, the Dodgers began the season outside of America, this time in Tokyo, Japan for the Tokyo Series. They became the first defending World Series champion to begin their season 8–0, besting the previous record held by the 1933 Yankees, who started their season 7–0. The Dodgers clinched their 13th straight post-season appearance on September 19, extending the longest streak in franchise history. On September 25, they clinched the National League West title for the fourth straight season and 12th time the last 13 years. On September 18, three-time Cy Young winner and former MVP Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement at the conclusion of the season.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Shea Stadium grew thick with the smell of stale beer and electric dread as the bottom of the ninth approached. With the score knotted, a Phillies batter dug in, his gaze locked on the Mets' pitcher, while the sea of blue-and-orange faithful erupted into a deafening roar that swallowed the dugout's chatter. This wasn't merely another regular-season tilt; it was a life-or-death struggle for a division crown. As the pitch whizzed through the humid night air, time seemed to suspend itself, freezing a single moment of raw, city-wide desperation where two franchises fought not just for a win, but for their season's very soul.

Reader's Guide

As the third seed, the Dodgers opened the playoffs in the Wild Card Series against the sixth seed, Cincinnati Reds. They swept the Reds in two games to advance to the NLDS. They then defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in four games and advanced to the National League Championship Series for the second year in a row. They swept the Milwaukee Brewers in four games to win their second straight NLCS and the fifth in nine years (2017–2018, 2020, 2024–2025), in a series defined by their starting pitching dominance. They defeated the Blue Jays in the World Series in seven games to become the first franchise to repeat as World Series champions since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees. The Dodgers were just the ninth team to win Games 6 and 7 on the road in a World Series. In Game 7, they were the first team in MLB history to stage a comeback on the road in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all World Series game, ultimately winning in 11 innings by a score of 5–4. Unlike the previous season, the Dodgers did not hold home-advantage for any of the last three rounds. The Los Angeles Dodgers drew an average home attendance of 49,536, the highest of all MLB teams. The team also passed 4 million in home attendance for the first time in franchise history.

Did You Know?

• The Dodgers became the first defending World Series champion to begin their season 8–0, besting the previous record held by the 1933 Yankees.
• Clayton Kershaw announced his retirement on September 18, effective at the conclusion of the season.
• The Dodgers were the first team in MLB history to stage a comeback on the road in the ninth inning of a winner-take-all World Series game, winning Game 7 in 11 innings.
• The Dodgers passed 4 million in home attendance for the first time in franchise history.