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This year's World Series is going to a final seventh game after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept their title defense dreams alive Friday night with a three to one win over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The defending champions halted Toronto’s ninth-inning rally with a thrilling game-ending twin killing, silencing a home crowd that had come ready to celebrate the city’s first title in 32 years.

Game 6 Summary

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was purposely passed before Will Smith doubled to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Betts delivered with a two-RBI hit to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a 3–0 lead.

Betts’ hit broke a postseason slump and revived the defending champions’ hopes of being the first repeat World Series winners since the New York Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Mound Battle

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out six of the initial seven batters he faced. He struck out 8 through three innings, matching a World Series mark, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six frames, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was solid again under pressure. The righty outdueled his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, giving up a single run on five base hits over six innings with six Ks. He improved to 4–1 this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out single in the third, scoring Addison Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. That single offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Heroics

From there, the Dodgers’ bullpen took over. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before hitting Alejandro Kirk to start the frame. Barger followed with a double that got stuck under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to hold at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starter, entered in relief and induced a pop fly before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left field. Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to double off Barger, clinching the win and giving Glasnow his first career successful save.

Next Up: Game 7

The series now boils down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will start for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in the 2019 season with the Nationals. The 40-year-old inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

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