LA Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in World Series
The World Series is going to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.
The defending champions ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling final double play, stunning a Rogers Centre crowd that had come ready to celebrate the team's championship in over three decades.
Sixth Game Summary
The Dodgers generated all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.
Betts’ hit snapped a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back championship victors since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.
Mound Duel
Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning half a dozen of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out 8 through three innings, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.
Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a week, allowing one run on five base hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.
The lone score against him came on Springer’s two-out base hit in the third, scoring Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. That single provided a brief spark in his return to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.
Bullpen Effort
After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, obliging runners to hold at second and third base.
Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starting pitcher, entered in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez lined to left. Hernández made the catch and fired to second base to retire the runner, sealing the win and giving Glasnow his first career successful save.
Next Up: Seventh Game
The series now boils down to a single contest. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran inked a one-year deal to pursue one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.
The Los Angeles squad, aiming to become the sport's initial repeat champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a short outing.