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This year's World Series is going to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their title defense dreams alive 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, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the team's championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left to bring home Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-run single to left, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit snapped a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' hopes of being the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that stage, fanning six of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He fanned 8 through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Toronto ace finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, allowing three earned runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under pressure. The righty outpitched his counterpart for the second time in a seven days, allowing one run on five hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from Springer’s two-out base hit in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had hit a double previously in the frame. That single provided a brief spark in his return to the lineup after missing two games with an oblique injury.

Relief Heroics

From there, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. First-year pitcher Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Kirk to open the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, came on in relief and induced a popout before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández caught the ball and threw to second to retire Barger, sealing the win and earning Glasnow his first-ever save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The best-of-seven now boils down to a single contest. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the only living pitcher to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after doing so in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran signed a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

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