🔗 Share this article

This year's World Series is going to a final Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat hopes intact on Friday with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, stunning a home crowd that had come ready to celebrate the team's first title in 32 years.

Sixth Game Recap

Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left to score Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and rekindled the defending champions’ hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series winners since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Battle

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out six of the first seven batters he confronted. He fanned 8 through three innings, matching a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace ended with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second occasion in a week, giving up one run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his return to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. Rookie Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Addison Barger then hit a double that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to stay at second and third.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starter, entered in a relief role and got a popout before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second base to double off Barger, clinching the win and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to be baseball’s initial repeat title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a short outing.