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This year's World Series is going to a final Game 7 following the Dodgers kept their title defense hopes intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

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

Game 6 Summary

Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back championship victors since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning six of the initial seven batters he confronted. He fanned 8 through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up a single run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on Springer’s two-out single in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after missing two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki worked into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to start the inning. Addison Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in relief and got a popout before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and threw to second to double off the runner, sealing the win and earning the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran inked a one-year deal to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be the sport's first back-to-back champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.