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This year's championship series is going to a final seventh game after the Dodgers kept their title defense dreams alive on Friday with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a dramatic game-ending double play, stunning a home crowd that had arrived prepared to celebrate the team's first title in 32 years.

Game 6 Summary

Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third inning. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith doubled to left field to bring home Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a 3–0 advantage.

Betts’ hit snapped a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' hopes of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, fanning half a dozen of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six frames, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.

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

The only run against him came on Springer’s two-out base hit in the third, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a momentary lift in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Relief Effort

From there, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth before hitting Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to hold at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, entered in relief and induced a pop fly before Giménez lined to left field. Hernández caught the ball and threw to second to double off the runner, clinching the victory and earning the pitcher his first career successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old signed a one-year deal to pursue another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, aiming to be the sport's initial repeat champions in nearly a quarter-century, are expected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.