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This year's championship series is headed to a decisive Game 7 following the Dodgers kept their repeat dreams alive Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's championship in over three decades.

Sixth Game Summary

The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third inning. With two outs, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left to bring home Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to left, handing the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series victors since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that stage, striking out half a dozen of the first seven batters he faced. He fanned eight through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on George Springer two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit provided a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out two games with an side strain.

Bullpen Effort

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in relief and induced a pop fly before Giménez lined to left. Hernández made the catch and fired to second base to double off Barger, sealing the win and giving the pitcher his first-ever successful save.

Next Up: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to one game. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to become the sport's initial repeat champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.