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This year's World Series is headed to a decisive seventh game following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense dreams alive on Friday with a 3–1 victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final twin killing, silencing a Rogers Centre audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's championship in 32 years.

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

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

Mound Battle

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he faced. He fanned eight through three innings, tying a World Series mark, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

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

The lone score against him came on Springer’s two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starting pitcher, entered in relief and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second to retire Barger, clinching the win and giving the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now boils down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with Washington. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase one more title and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be baseball’s first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a short outing.