Blue heaven: huge crowds salute Los Angeles Dodgers in victory parade

Huge throngs of fans who had begun taking up positions before dawn lined the route, with city officials saying they expected the crowd size to eclipse last year's victory parade, when more than 200,000 fans turned out to acclaim the team.

The Dodgers became the first side in 25 years to win back-to-back Major League Baseball championships on Saturday when they defeated the Blue Jays 5-4 in a thrilling duel to clinch the franchise's ninth World Series crown.

The win was the Dodgers' third World Series title since 2020, confirming the star-studded team as modern baseball's latest dynasty.

Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani -- who has now won two World Series titles since joining the Dodgers ahead of the 2024 season -- said he hopes to be celebrating a hat-trick of titles next year.

"It's really nice to be able to win the championship and to be surrounded by all these amazing fans," Ohtani told Spectrum Sportsnet LA television. 

"I'm already thinking about the third time we're going to do this next year."

Monday's parade, which was to be followed by a sold-out celebration at the team's Dodger Stadium later, was also a moment for veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw to sign off in style.

Kershaw, a future Hall-of-Famer, announced his retirement from baseball in the final weeks of the regular season after 18 years with the Dodgers.

- 'Perfect' send off -

"I'm blown away. It's the perfect way to be done," the 37-year-old ace said. "I'm just so grateful for these fans. Look at this -- I mean it's even louder than last year. 

"The Dodgers have always meant a lot to this city for generations. It's part of people's families, and so for us to get to do this in front of them, means the world to me."

The hero of the Dodgers series win -- Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto -- also basked in the applause following his game seven heroics.

Yamamoto was named World Series Most Valuable Player on Saturday after emerging from the bullpen to close out victory from the mound, just a day after throwing 96 pitches in a series-tying game six win on Friday.

"I love being able to share this with my team-mates," Yamamoto said through an interpreter. "I need to say a big thank to my team-mates."

Yamamoto added he had almost been too tired to lift his MVP award on Saturday. "It was too heavy," Yamamoto said.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman -- who won the MVP award during last year's win over the New York Yankees -- said the team's pitching staff had been the cornerstone of this season's title triumph.

"This year we hit every speed bump possible," Freeman said. "At one point we had our whole starting rotation on the IL (injured list). But when we got them back we hopped on their back and rode them all the way to the World Series.

"So this is all because of our starting pitching."

There was also acclaim for veteran utility man Miguel Rojas. The 36-year-old from Venezuela hit the game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Saturday's win and also made a game-saving defensive play to deny the Blue Jays a walk-off victory.

"He saved our season with his gloves, he saved our season with his bat," Dodgers outfielder Kike Hernandez said of Rojas. "I'm glad he's on our team."

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