LA Dodgers Hold On in Canada to Set Up Winner-Take-All Game 7 in Fall Classic

The championship series is going to a final Game 7 following the Dodgers kept alive their repeat hopes alive Friday night with a three to one victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, silencing a Rogers Centre audience that had come ready to cheer the team's championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series winners since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned eight through three innings, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second time in a week, allowing one run on five hits over six innings with six strikeouts. 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, scoring Addison Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single offered a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after sitting out two games with an side strain.

Relief Effort

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before hitting Kirk to open the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, forcing runners to hold at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, entered in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández caught the ball and threw to second to double off the runner, clinching the victory and earning Glasnow his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming 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 signed a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to be the sport's initial repeat title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.

Kim Houston
Kim Houston

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