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This year's World Series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left field to bring home Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

That key hit snapped a postseason slump and rekindled the title holders' hopes of being the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He struck out eight through three frames, matching a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.

Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under pressure. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second time in a week, giving up one run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a brief spark in his return to the starting nine after sitting out a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to start the frame. Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in a relief role and got a popout before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second to retire the runner, sealing the victory and giving the pitcher his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be baseball’s initial repeat title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.