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

This year's championship series is headed to a decisive seventh game after the Dodgers kept their repeat dreams intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, stunning a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s first title in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left to score Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and revived the title holders' aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Battle

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning six of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He fanned eight through three innings, tying a Fall Classic mark, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a week, allowing one run on five hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third, scoring Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an side strain.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Rƍki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging base runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, came on in a relief role and induced a pop fly before Giménez lined to left. Enrique Hernåndez made the catch and threw to second base to retire Barger, clinching the victory and giving the pitcher his first career successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now boils down to one game. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.

Richard Hunter
Richard Hunter

A seasoned technology strategist with over a decade of experience in digital innovation and AI-driven solutions.