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The World Series is headed to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams intact Friday night with a three to one victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders 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 over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

The Dodgers generated all of their scoring in the third inning. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a three-run lead.

That key hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of being the initial back-to-back championship winners since the Yankees won three straight from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, fanning half a dozen of the first seven batters he confronted. He struck out eight through three frames, matching a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, in contrast, was solid again under stress. The righty outpitched Gausman for the second time in a seven days, allowing one run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on George Springer two-out base hit in the third inning, scoring Addison Barger, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a jam in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before hitting Kirk to open the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to stay at second and third.

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. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire the runner, clinching the victory and earning Glasnow his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will start for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran signed a one-year deal to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, aiming to become baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to lean on their two-way star for a short outing.