LA Dodgers Survive in Toronto to Set Up Decisive Game 7 in Fall Classic

The championship series is headed to a decisive seventh game after the Dodgers kept their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a three to one victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic final twin killing, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

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

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, fanning half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned eight through three innings, tying a Fall Classic record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Toronto ace ended with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second time in a week, allowing one run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. That single offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after missing two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, forcing base runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starter, came on in a relief role and got a popout before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second to double off Barger, clinching the win and giving 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 Toronto, becoming the only living pitcher to start more than one seventh games of the World Series after doing so in 2019 with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to become the sport's initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are projected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.

Cynthia Robinson
Cynthia Robinson

A seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting markets and statistical modeling.