Los Angeles Dodgers Hold On in Canada to Force Winner-Take-All Game 7 in Fall Classic

The World Series is going to a decisive Game 7 after the Dodgers kept their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending double play, silencing a home crowd that had come ready to cheer the team's first title in 32 years.

Sixth Game Summary

Los Angeles produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

That key hit snapped a postseason slump and rekindled the defending champions’ aspirations of being the first repeat championship winners since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning half a dozen of the first seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned 8 through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Toronto ace finished with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, giving up a single run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He boosted his record to 4–1 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 Barger, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. Rookie Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, 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 double off Barger, sealing the win and giving Glasnow his first-ever successful save.

Next Up: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after doing so in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be baseball’s initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.

Ryan Booth
Ryan Booth

A passionate photographer and educator dedicated to sharing innovative techniques and inspiring others through visual arts.