The championship series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams alive on Friday with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.
The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic final twin killing, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had come ready to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.
Sixth Game Summary
The Dodgers 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 field to score Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.
That key hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ hopes of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series winners since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.
Mound Duel
Gausman had been dominant to that stage, fanning six of the first seven batters he faced. He fanned eight through three frames, matching a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under pressure. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.
The only run against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third, driving in Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his return to the starting nine after sitting out a pair of contests with an oblique injury.
Relief Effort
From there, the Los Angeles relievers took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to hold at second and third.
Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in a relief role and induced a popout before Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and threw to second base to retire the runner, clinching the win and giving Glasnow his first career successful save.
Looking Ahead: Seventh Game
The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to pitch in multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.
The Dodgers, aiming to become the sport's initial repeat champions in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.
