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This year's championship series is going to a decisive Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a 3–1 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, stunning a home crowd that had come ready to celebrate the city’s championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third inning. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' hopes of becoming the initial back-to-back championship victors since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been dominant to that stage, striking out six of the first seven batters he faced. He struck out 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Toronto ace ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from George Springer two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. That single provided a momentary lift in his return to the lineup after missing two games with an side strain.

Relief Effort

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a jam in the seventh, and fellow rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the frame. Barger then hit a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing base runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starting pitcher, came on in relief and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire Barger, clinching the win and earning the pitcher his first career save.

Next Up: Game 7

The series now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the only living pitcher to start more than one seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old signed a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

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