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The World Series is headed to a final Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their repeat hopes alive on Friday with a three to one victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling game-ending double play, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s first title in 32 years.

Game 6 Summary

Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of being the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning half a dozen of the initial seven batters he confronted. He struck out 8 through three innings, matching a World Series mark, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The righty outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, giving up one run on five base 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, driving in Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Effort

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before hitting Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Addison Barger then hit a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to hold at second and third base.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ Game 3 starter, entered in relief and got a popout before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and threw to second base to retire Barger, clinching the win and earning the pitcher his first career successful save.

Next Up: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Scherzer will start for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after doing so in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to become the sport's initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a short outing.