Los Angeles Dodgers Hold On in Canada to Set Up Winner-Take-All Game 7 in Fall Classic
The championship series is headed to a final Game 7 following the Dodgers kept alive their repeat hopes intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.
The defending champions ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s championship in over three decades.
Sixth Game Summary
Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left 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 the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.
Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of being the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.
Mound Duel
Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he faced. He fanned 8 through three innings, tying a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The righty outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a week, giving up a single run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.
The only run against him came on George Springer two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after missing two games with an side strain.
Bullpen Effort
After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before hitting Kirk to start the frame. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to stay at second and third.
Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starter, entered in relief and got a popout before Giménez lined to left. Hernández made the catch and threw to second to double off the runner, sealing the win and earning the pitcher his first-ever successful save.
Looking Ahead: Game 7
The series now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, making him the only living pitcher to start more than one seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.
The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to lean on their two-way star for a short outing.