Dodgers fans can't overlook underrated moment that saved World Series Game 7

It already feels impossible to remember, but the freshly minted, back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers trailed by two runs in the eighth inning of Game 7 with just five outs left to work with. Toronto Blue Jays fans were struggling to contain their excitement. With Trey Yesavage getting Mookie Betts to ground out to shortstop to start the eighth, every Jays fan inside Rogers Centre (and around the globe) was beginning to glow with surety. Yesavage had survived the beef of LA's lineup. Five more outs, and the first World Series trophy in 32 years for Toronto would be hoisted.

That's when Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy stepped into the batter's box, carrying with him a .185 average in the 2025 postseason (10-for-54). Not a problem for the electric Yesavage, right?

Wrong. Facing a 1-1 count, Muncy pounced on a floating, 83 MPH splitter from Yesavage up in the zone and crushed it 343 feet into the right field stands. The baseball landed above the second level, smacking off of a beaming, blue advertisement that read "Made For October".

In a chilling instant, the Blue Jays' lead was cut to one run, and the Dodgers were filled with confidence that they were about to steal this game.

Max Muncy's eighth-inning solo home run was really what saved the Dodgers' season

With all of the unforgettable drama that followed Muncy's blast — including two further, unthinkably clutch Dodgers homers from Miguel Rojas and Will Smith — Muncy's swing that started it all is bound to be overlooked, but it shouldn't be. Without Muncy, the Dodgers don't win Game 7.

Although Smith's homer won the game in the 11th, and Rojas's homer will never fall below the highest level of immortality for its sheer improbability, Muncy's jack was just as magical. Beyond the symbolism of the ball hitting an appropriately-named ad in the stands, the homer also had historical implications, as it pushed Muncy passed Babe Ruth on the all-time postseason home run list.

As Dodgers fans bask in MLB's first back-to-back title season since 2000 and try to ease their collective heart rate after a truly insane 11 innings of baseball, Muncy should not go overlooked.

Nor should Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who kept his faith in Muncy's bat throughout the World Series despite a frigid October, knowing that the two-time All-Star couldn't go too much longer without a big moment. Well, that moment certainly arrived, and it wasn't Muncy's only good swing of the night, either. He ended Game 7 with three hits, including a single in the 10th.

Muncy is now a three-time World Series champion with the Dodgers. He cemented his status in Game 7 as an indispensable ingredient to LA's dynasty, and will undoubtedly be returning in 2026 with his contract option waiting to be picked up.