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The championship series is headed to a final seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling final double play, silencing a Rogers Centre crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the team's championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left to score Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

That key hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of being the first repeat championship winners since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out six of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned eight through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The righty outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, allowing a single run on five hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He improved to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. That single provided a brief spark in his comeback 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 Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, forcing runners to hold at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starting pitcher, came on in a relief role and got a pop fly before Andrés Giménez lined to left. Hernández caught the ball and fired to second to retire the runner, sealing the win and giving the pitcher his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a one-year deal to pursue one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to be baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.