LA Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in Fall Classic

The championship series is headed to a final Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending double play, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the team's championship in 32 years.

Sixth Game Recap

Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' aspirations of being the first repeat World Series winners since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he confronted. He fanned 8 through three frames, tying a Fall Classic record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Toronto ace ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing one run on five hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the starting nine after missing two games with an side strain.

Bullpen Heroics

From there, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to open the frame. Barger then hit a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging base runners to hold at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starter, came on in a relief role and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second to double off Barger, clinching the win and earning Glasnow his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to start multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.