LA Dodgers Hold On in Toronto to Set Up Winner-Take-All Game 7 in World Series

The World Series is going to a final Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their repeat dreams alive on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

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

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' hopes of being the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out six of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned 8 through three innings, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six innings, yielding three earned runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five base hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Addison Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starting pitcher, came on in a relief role and got a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to double off Barger, sealing the victory and earning the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now boils down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one seventh games of the World Series after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be baseball’s initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.

Nicole Gilbert
Nicole Gilbert

Elara is a seasoned academic mentor with a passion for helping students excel in their educational journeys and professional endeavors.