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

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, stunning a home crowd that had come ready to celebrate the team's first title in 32 years.

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a three-run lead.

That key hit snapped a postseason slump and revived the title holders' aspirations of being the first repeat World Series winners since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the first seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned 8 through three frames, tying a Fall Classic mark, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to 4–1 this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Relief Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to hold at second and third base.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starter, entered in relief and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and fired to second base to retire Barger, clinching the win and earning Glasnow his first career successful save.

Next Up: Game 7

The series now boils down to a single contest. Max 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 2019 with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to pursue one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

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