Los Angeles Dodgers Survive in Canada to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in World Series
The World Series is headed to a decisive seventh game following the Dodgers kept alive their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.
The defending champions ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling final double play, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the team's championship in over three decades.
Sixth Game Recap
The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third inning. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a three-run advantage.
That key hit broke a postseason slump and revived the title holders' hopes of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.
Pitching Duel
Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning six of the first seven batters he faced. He struck out 8 through three frames, tying a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three runs on three hits and two free passes.
Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under pressure. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up one run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He boosted his record to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.
The only run against him resulted from George Springer two-out single in the third, driving in Barger, who had doubled earlier in the inning. That single offered a momentary lift in his return to the starting nine after missing two games with an oblique injury.
Relief Heroics
After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to stay at second and third.
Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in relief and induced a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second to double off Barger, sealing the victory and giving Glasnow his first-ever successful save.
Next Up: Game 7
The series now comes down to one game. Scherzer will start for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.
The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be baseball’s first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.