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This year's World Series is headed to a decisive Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat dreams intact on Friday with a three to one win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders halted Toronto’s late-game comeback with a thrilling game-ending double play, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had come ready to celebrate the city’s championship in over three decades.

Game 6 Summary

Los Angeles generated all of their offense in the third inning. With two away, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left field to score Tommy Edman. Freeman earned a base on balls to load the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-run single to left, handing the Dodgers a three-run lead.

That key hit broke a playoff dry spell and revived the title holders' hopes of becoming the first repeat World Series victors since the Yankees won three consecutive from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, fanning half a dozen of the first seven batters he confronted. He struck out eight through three frames, tying a Fall Classic mark, but the third-frame rally proved costly. The Blue Jays' star finished with eight strikeouts over six innings, allowing three runs on three safeties and two free passes.

Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under pressure. The 27-year-old right-hander outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a seven days, giving up one run on five base hits over six innings with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The only run against him came on Springer’s two-out single in the third inning, driving in Addison Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. That single offered a momentary lift in his comeback to the lineup after sitting out two games with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Dodgers’ bullpen carried the load. First-year pitcher Justin Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh inning, and another rookie Rōki Sasaki pitched into the ninth before plunking Alejandro Kirk to open the frame. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the outfield wall, obliging base runners to stay at second and third.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, entered in a relief role and got a pop fly before Andrés Giménez hit a line drive to left. Enrique Hernández made the catch and threw to second base to retire the runner, sealing the win and giving the pitcher his first career successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now boils down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The veteran signed a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to become baseball’s first back-to-back title winners in nearly a quarter-century, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.