LA Dodgers Hold On in Canada to Set Up Decisive Game 7 in World Series

The championship series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Dodgers kept their repeat dreams alive Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had come ready to cheer the city’s championship in over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before 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 left, giving the Dodgers a three-run lead.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' aspirations of becoming the first repeat World Series victors since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out six of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out 8 through three frames, matching a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six innings, yielding three runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

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

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Addison Barger followed with a double that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, forcing base runners to hold at second and third base.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and got a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to double off Barger, clinching the victory and giving Glasnow his first-ever save.

Next Up: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to become the sport's first back-to-back champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.