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This year's World Series is going to a final Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams alive Friday night with a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final double play, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Summary

The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

That key hit snapped a postseason slump and rekindled the title holders' aspirations of being the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning half a dozen of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned eight through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up one run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He improved 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, driving in Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. That single offered a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Kirk to start the inning. Addison Barger then hit a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, came on in a relief role and induced a pop fly before Giménez lined to left. Hernández caught the ball and threw to second base to retire Barger, sealing the victory and earning Glasnow his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, becoming the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, aiming to be baseball’s initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.