Los Angeles Dodgers Hold On in Toronto to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in Fall Classic

This year's championship series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams alive Friday night with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

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

Game 6 Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to left, giving the Dodgers a three-run lead.

Betts’ hit snapped a postseason slump and revived the title holders' aspirations of becoming the first repeat championship victors since the New York Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he faced. He struck out 8 through three innings, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Toronto ace ended with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a seven days, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. That single offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Addison Barger followed with a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to stay at second and third.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starter, came on in relief and induced a popout before Giménez lined to left. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and fired to second base to retire the runner, sealing the win and earning the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now boils down to one game. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after doing so in the 2019 season 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, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.

Manuel Marquez
Manuel Marquez

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in helping organizations leverage technology for innovation and sustainable growth.