Los Angeles Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Set Up Decisive Game 7 in Fall Classic
The World Series is headed to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams alive on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.
The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a Rogers Centre crowd that had come ready to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.
Sixth Game Summary
Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.
Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series victors since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.
Mound Battle
Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the initial seven batters he confronted. He struck out 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Toronto ace ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, allowing one run on five base hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.
The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. That single provided a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.
Bullpen Effort
After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to hold at second and third.
Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, came on in relief and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and threw to second to retire the runner, clinching the victory and giving Glasnow his first-ever save.
Next Up: Seventh Game
The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.
The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.