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The championship series is headed to a decisive seventh game after the Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a 3–1 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, silencing a home audience that had come ready to cheer the city’s championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Summary

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third frame. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to score Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and rekindled the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat World Series victors since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, fanning six of the initial seven Dodgers he confronted. He struck out 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic mark, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under pressure. The righty outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, giving up a single run on five base hits over six frames with six Ks. He boosted his record to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from Springer’s two-out base hit in the third, scoring Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the inning. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to stay at second and third base.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starting pitcher, came on in a relief role and induced a popout before Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and fired to second to double off Barger, clinching the win and earning the pitcher his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to one game. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to start more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to lean on their two-way star for a brief appearance.