Los Angeles Dodgers Hold On in Canada to Force Decisive Game 7 in World Series
This year's World Series is going to a final Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams alive Friday night with a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.
The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final twin killing, stunning a home crowd that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s first title in 32 years.
Game 6 Recap
Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, handing the Dodgers a three-run lead.
Betts’ hit snapped a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat championship winners since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.
Mound Battle
Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out six of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned 8 through three innings, tying a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three runs on three safeties and two walks.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under stress. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second time in a week, giving up a single run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved 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 inning, scoring Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.
Relief Heroics
After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging base runners to stay at second and third.
Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starting pitcher, entered in relief and induced a pop fly before Giménez lined to left. Hernández caught the ball and fired to second to retire Barger, sealing the victory and earning Glasnow his first-ever successful save.
Next Up: Seventh Game
The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a one-year deal to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.
The Dodgers, aiming to become the sport's first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to lean on their two-way star for a brief appearance.