Los Angeles Dodgers Survive in Canada to Set Up Decisive Game 7 in Fall Classic
This year's championship series is going to a decisive Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a three to one victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.
The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling final twin killing, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had come ready to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.
Game 6 Summary
Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.
Betts’ hit snapped a postseason slump and rekindled the title holders' hopes of becoming the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.
Pitching Duel
Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned 8 through three innings, tying a Fall Classic mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a week, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He boosted his record to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.
The lone score against him resulted from George Springer 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 return to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.
Bullpen Effort
After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before hitting Kirk to open the frame. Addison Barger then hit a double that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to hold at second and third base.
Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and fired to second to retire Barger, sealing the win and earning the pitcher his first-ever save.
Next Up: Game 7
The series now comes down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The veteran signed a one-year deal to pursue another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.
The Los Angeles squad, looking to be baseball’s initial repeat title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to lean on their two-way star for a brief appearance.