LA Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in World Series

The World Series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat hopes intact Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending double play, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning six of the first seven batters he confronted. He struck out eight through three innings, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, giving up one run on five hits over six innings with six strikeouts. 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 inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his return to the starting nine after missing two games with an side strain.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Barger followed with a double that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to hold at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starting pitcher, entered in relief and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second base to double off Barger, sealing the win and earning the pitcher his first career successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now boils down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, 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 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to chase one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, aiming to be the sport's initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are projected to lean on their two-way star for a brief appearance.