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This year's World Series is going to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense dreams intact Friday night with a three to one victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the city’s first title in 32 years.

Sixth Game Summary

Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

That key hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of being the first repeat championship victors since the New York Yankees captured three straight from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out six of the initial seven batters he faced. He struck out 8 through three innings, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second time in a seven days, giving up one run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third, scoring Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Relief Heroics

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Addison 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.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, entered in a relief role and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire Barger, clinching the victory and earning the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now comes down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The veteran inked a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to lean on their two-way star for a short outing.