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This year's championship series is headed to a decisive Game 7 after the Los Angeles Dodgers kept alive their repeat hopes alive Friday night with a three to one victory over the Blue Jays in Game 6.

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic final double play, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had come ready to cheer the city’s first title in 32 years.

Sixth Game Summary

The Dodgers generated all of their offense in the third inning. With two away, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Will Smith hit a two-bagger to left to score Tommy Edman. Freddie Freeman earned a base on balls to fill the bases, and Mookie 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' aspirations of being the initial back-to-back World Series victors since the New York Yankees captured three consecutive from 1998 through 2000.

Pitching Battle

Gausman had been nearly unhittable to that point, striking out half a dozen of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out 8 through three frames, tying a World Series record, but the third-inning barrage proved decisive. The Toronto ace ended with 8 Ks over six frames, yielding three earned runs on three safeties and two walks.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under stress. The 27-year-old right-hander outdueled Gausman for the second occasion in a week, allowing one run on five base hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this postseason with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score 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 momentary lift in his comeback to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Bullpen Effort

After that, the Los Angeles relievers carried the load. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a jam in the seventh inning, and fellow rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to open the inning. Addison Barger followed with a two-base hit that got stuck under the outfield wall, forcing runners to hold at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starter, entered in relief and induced a popout before Giménez lined to left field. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and fired to second base to double off the runner, clinching the win and earning the pitcher his first career save.

Next Up: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to a single contest. Max Scherzer will start for Toronto, making him the only living pitcher to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in 2019 with the Nationals. The veteran signed a single-season contract to pursue another championship and has been a vocal leader throughout this playoff run.

The Dodgers, looking to become baseball’s initial repeat title winners in almost 25 years, are expected to rely on their two-way star for a brief appearance.