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The championship series is headed to a decisive Game 7 following the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense hopes alive Friday night with a 3–1 win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final double play, stunning 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 inning. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith hit a two-bagger to left to score Tommy Edman. Freeman drew a walk to load the bases, and Betts came through with a two-run single to the opposite field, handing the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

That key hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat championship victors since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Duel

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning six of the initial seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out eight through three frames, tying a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved decisive. The Blue Jays' star finished with 8 Ks over six innings, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched Gausman for the second time in a week, allowing one run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He boosted his record to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out single 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 sitting out a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh inning, and another rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before hitting Kirk to start the frame. Barger followed with a double that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, obliging base runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in relief and got a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and threw to second base to double off the runner, clinching the victory and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, making him the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after doing so in the 2019 season with Washington. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in almost 25 years, are projected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.