LA Dodgers Hold On in Toronto to Set Up Decisive Game 7 in Fall Classic
This year's World Series is headed to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams alive Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.
The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final double play, stunning a home crowd that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s first title in over three decades.
Sixth Game Recap
Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.
That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series winners since the New York Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.
Mound Duel
Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out six of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned eight through three innings, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up a single run on five base hits over six frames with six Ks. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.
The only run against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third, scoring Addison Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit provided a brief spark in his return to the starting nine after sitting out a pair of contests with an oblique injury.
Relief Effort
After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger followed with a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to hold at second and third base.
Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starting pitcher, entered in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second base to retire the runner, clinching the victory and giving Glasnow his first-ever save.
Next Up: Game 7
The best-of-seven now boils down to one game. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to start more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.
The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be baseball’s initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.