Los Angeles Dodgers Survive in Canada to Force Decisive Game 7 in Fall Classic

This year's championship series is headed to a decisive Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense dreams 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 dramatic game-ending twin killing, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s first title in over three decades.

Game 6 Summary

Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left field to bring home Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' aspirations of being the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out 8 through three innings, matching a World Series mark, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six innings, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under pressure. The righty outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up one run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out single in the third, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single provided a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after missing two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before hitting Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, forcing runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starter, entered in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second to double off Barger, clinching the win and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Next Up: Game 7

The series now boils down to one game. Scherzer will start for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after doing so in the 2019 season with Washington. The veteran inked a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to be the sport's initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.