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The World Series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Dodgers kept their title defense dreams intact Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending double play, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left 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 advantage.

Betts’ hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out six of the first seven Dodgers he confronted. He struck out eight through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Toronto ace finished with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under pressure. The righty outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a week, giving up a single run on five base 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 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 starting nine after missing two games with an side strain.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger then hit a double that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and induced a popout before Giménez lined to left. Hernández made the catch and fired to second to double off Barger, clinching the win and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now boils down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the sole active hurler to start more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The veteran signed a one-year deal to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, looking to become the sport's initial repeat title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.