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This year's championship series is headed to a decisive seventh game after the Dodgers kept alive their title defense hopes alive Friday night with a three to one victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, stunning a home crowd that had come ready to celebrate the team's first title in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles generated all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to bring home Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ aspirations of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series winners since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Battle

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out six of the first seven batters he confronted. He fanned eight through three innings, matching a World Series record, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star ended with 8 Ks over six innings, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

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

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out single in the third, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger then hit a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to stay at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' third game starter, came on in a relief role and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire Barger, sealing the victory and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now boils down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for the Blue Jays, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to pursue one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

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