Los Angeles Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Set Up Winner-Take-All Game 7 in World Series

This year's championship series is going to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their repeat hopes alive on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's first title in over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

The Dodgers produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left to bring home Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' aspirations of becoming the first repeat World Series victors since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning six of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He struck out eight through three frames, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, giving up a single run on five hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out single in the third, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before hitting Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, obliging base runners to hold at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in relief and induced a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire the runner, sealing the victory and earning Glasnow his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now boils down to one game. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after doing so in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to become the sport's first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to lean on their two-way star for a short outing.