Whether it was a struggling offense or shaky bullpen issues, the Los Angeles Dodgers found a way - any way - to overcome those and take home yet another World Series championship.
All season long, the Los Angeles Dodgers had to fight through some awful offensive stretches and equally tough bullpen moments. They got into the MLB postseason party and eventually found their way dancing in the middle of Rogers Centre on Saturday night.
The Dodgers repeated as World Series champions, marking the first time that's been done in the majors since 1998-2000. Yes, it's been that long. But the Dodgers, with their incredible payroll of stars and role players, made it all come together at the right time.
In Dodgers lore, the names of Will Smith and Miguel Rojas will have their rightful places.
But Los Angeles does not even raise The Commissioner's Trophy without Yoshinobu Yamamoto showing out. Yamamoto won THREE World Series games, including the Game 7 thriller that went 11 innings and ended up with a 5-4 victory over the tough, gritty Toronto Blue Jays.
Yamamoto? All he did was pick up the World Series MVP trophy when all was said and done. That dude came out firing every time Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called on him. Roberts made a beeline for Yamamoto during the postgame celebrations.
You can see by the photo that is used with this column that Roberts gave Yamamoto a big, big hug. His Japanese superstar pitcher deserved that and all the accolades that are coming his way. Yamamoto was as lights-out as you can get in a World Series.
Yes, Yamamoto even outshone Shohei Ohtani in this Fall Classic. That's hard to do, but Shohei probably didn't mind his friend getting into the spotlight.
Rojas? All that dude did was come up in the top of the ninth with Los Angeles trailing 4-3 and hit a game-tying solo home run. Miguel Rojas? Hell, his name will go alongside some other World Series heroes of great lore.
Smith? Of course, his name will be among World Series legends, too. His 11th-inning solo home run, a majestic shot over the left-field fence, put the Dodgers ahead 5-4.
Now let's be clear about something. Both the Dodgers and Blue Jays had chances to score runs and take a lead before the late-inning heroics. The Blue Jays had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth and couldn't get the go-ahead run.
Both teams relied on starters throughout Saturday night's game. Ohtani started Game 7 for the Dodgers, but was pulled in the third inning. Toronto's Max Scherzer, "Mad Max" himself, put on a stellar performance for Toronto manager John Schneider in the finale.
Yet, in the end, it was Los Angeles on top of the baseball world once again.
In Game 7, Roberts never brought on relievers like Anthony Banda and Blake Treinen. They might not have been available, but in a Game 7 situation, isn't everyone on deck to be used? Even the grizzled-old veteran himself, Clayton Kershaw, was up in the Dodgers bullpen in the 11th inning. He was going to make himself available if Roberts needed another arm.
As it turns out, all Kershaw had to do was run out on the field and enjoy the moment. Kershaw is hanging it up after this season and, well, he's pretty much a shoo-in to reach the pinnacle of a baseball player's career - entrance into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., soon.
The Dodgers have the largest payroll in Major League Baseball. A lot of people probably are saying, "Of course, with that payroll, they were supposed to win it all."
Still, all of those high-paid players had to come together at the right time. Mookie Betts didn't have a great World Series at the plate. But he had a key hit in Game 6. Rojas, besides his home-run theatrics, was on the receiving end of Kiké Hernández's throw from left field to double off Addison Barger and secure a Game 6 win.
Smith was behind the plate, ensuring the Dodgers players were all in the proper defensive alignments. Oh, Smith also had to call games with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Ohtani, and Yamamoto on the mound.
This team made sure that it was going to have a place in baseball's history books. The Los Angeles Dodgers proved to be a tough, gritty team themselves. It was not a cakewalk for this franchise. They had to fight, fight, fight until the final innings of Game 7.
Yet they prevailed. To the victor goes the spoils, as they say.
To these victors on Saturday night goes a World Series championship and some empty champagne bottles.
Enjoy it while you can, Dodgers fans. It'll be next season before you know it.
Imagine the 2025 MLB season ending nearly 26 days before Thanksgiving.
Imagine the Dodgers giving thanks for another crown.