If you were trying to find the World Series Game 4 time this past October, you likely weren't alone in your confusion. The 2025 Fall Classic between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays was a scheduling beast. One day you’re in Toronto with a retractable roof, the next you're at Dodger Stadium praying for a breeze.
Basically, the game was set for 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
That’s the "official" word. But if you’ve lived through a postseason, you know that 8 p.m. start time is a bit of a lie. You’ve got the anthem, the ceremonial first pitch, and at least ten minutes of hype videos before a single ball is thrown.
The Reality of World Series Game 4 Time and TV Coverage
For the fans sitting in Los Angeles, the World Series Game 4 time actually translated to a 5:00 p.m. local start.
Traffic in LA at 5:00 p.m.? Yeah. It was a nightmare. Dodger Stadium was packed with 52,552 fans who somehow braved the 110 freeway to see Shohei Ohtani take the mound. FOX handled the national broadcast, as they always do, while Sportsnet carried the load for the Canadian audience.
Here is the thing people forget: the "start time" is just when the broadcast begins.
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- Broadcast Start: 7:00 p.m. ET (Pregame)
- First Pitch: Approximately 8:08 p.m. ET
- Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
- The Matchup: Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Dodgers
Honestly, the context of this game made the time even more critical. Game 3 had just finished a few hours prior. Well, maybe more than a few. It went 18 innings. By the time fans left the stadium after Game 3, it was practically time to turn around and come back for the Game 4 start.
Why This Specific Time Slot Matters for Ratings
MLB and FOX are in a constant battle with the clock. They want the West Coast fans home from work, but they can't start so late that the East Coast falls asleep by the seventh-inning stretch.
The 8:00 p.m. ET slot is their compromise. It’s not perfect. It’s actually kinda rough for kids in Ontario or New York who want to see the end of the game, which usually wraps up around 11:30 p.m. if the pitchers are moving fast.
Game 4 didn't move fast.
It clocked in at 2 hours and 54 minutes. That’s actually a "quick" game by modern standards, mostly because Shane Bieber was carving up the Dodgers' lineup.
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What Happened During Game 4?
If you missed the actual play-by-play while worrying about the World Series Game 4 time, the Blue Jays evened the series 2-2 with a 6-2 victory.
The big story was Shohei Ohtani.
He had just reached base nine times in the 18-inning marathon the night before. Then, he had to lace up his cleats and start on the mound for Game 4. Even for a superhero, that’s a lot. Shane Bieber outdueled him, pitching a gem that silenced the LA crowd.
Toronto blew the game open in the 7th inning with four runs. By the time the clock hit 11:00 p.m. on the East Coast, the series was officially a brand-new best-of-three.
How to Track Future World Series Times
Don't just trust the first Google snippet you see next year.
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Network schedules change. Sometimes a rain delay in a previous game pushes a start time, or a "travel day" gets wonky. The best way to stay certain is to check the official MLB Gameday app about two hours before the supposed first pitch.
For the 2025 series, the consistency of the 8 p.m. ET start was a rare bit of stability in a wild post-season.
Actionable Steps for Baseball Fans
If you're planning for the next Fall Classic, keep these notes in your back pocket.
Verify the Time Zone. Most national outlets list ET. If you're in the Central, Mountain, or Pacific zones, do the math early so you don't miss the first inning.
Account for the Pregame. If you want to see the player intros and the national anthem, tune in at least 30 minutes before the "official" start time.
Watch the Weather. If Game 4 is in a city like Chicago or New York in late October, a rain delay can move that 8:00 p.m. start to 10:00 p.m. in the blink of an eye.
The Blue Jays and Dodgers gave us a classic. The timing was tight, the sleep was minimal, but that's October baseball.