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The championship series is headed to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense dreams intact Friday night with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions ended Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling final twin killing, silencing a home audience that had arrived prepared to celebrate the city’s championship in over three decades.

Sixth Game Recap

The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third frame. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left field to score Tommy 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 three-run lead.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series winners since the Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Mound Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning six of the first seven batters he confronted. He fanned 8 through three frames, matching a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Toronto ace ended with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled his counterpart for the second time in a week, allowing a single run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him resulted from George Springer two-out base hit in the third, scoring Addison Barger, who had hit a double earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth inning before plunking Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Addison Barger then hit a double that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, obliging runners to stay at second and third.

Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire Barger, clinching the win and earning Glasnow his first-ever successful save.

Next Up: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be the sport's initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.