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The World Series is headed to a final seventh game after the Dodgers kept their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending double play, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s championship in over three decades.

Game 6 Summary

The Dodgers generated all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith doubled to left to score Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat World Series winners since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned 8 through three frames, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under pressure. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. That single provided a momentary lift in his return to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Barger then hit a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starter, came on in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández caught the ball and fired to second base to double off the runner, clinching the win and earning the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now boils down to a single contest. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to start more than one seventh games of the World Series after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, aiming to become the sport's first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.