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The championship series is headed to a final seventh game after 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 late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a home crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s first title in over three decades.

Game 6 Summary

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and rekindled the defending champions’ hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series winners since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he faced. He fanned 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, allowing a single run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Alejandro 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’ third game starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and got a pop fly before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second to retire the runner, clinching the victory and earning the pitcher his first career save.

Next Up: Game 7

The best-of-seven 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 Washington. The veteran signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to be baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.