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The World Series is headed to a final seventh game following the Dodgers kept their title defense hopes alive Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic final double play, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s championship in over three decades.

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left to score Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and rekindled the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, fanning half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned 8 through three frames, tying a World Series mark, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, allowing three runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The righty outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, giving up a single run on five hits over six innings with six Ks. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Effort

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Barger then hit a double that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in relief and got a popout before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to double off Barger, clinching the win and earning Glasnow his first career successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now boils down to a single contest. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be the sport's first back-to-back title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.