🔗 Share this article

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

The defending champions halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling final twin killing, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s championship in 32 years.

Sixth Game Recap

Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' aspirations of being the initial back-to-back championship victors since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out six of the initial seven batters he faced. He struck out eight through three innings, matching a World Series mark, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched Gausman for the second occasion in a week, giving up one run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He boosted his record to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on Springer’s two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his return to the lineup after sitting out a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to stay at second and third base.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, came on 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 to retire the runner, clinching the win and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Next Up: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.