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The World Series is going to a final Game 7 following the Dodgers kept their title defense hopes alive on Friday 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 final double play, stunning a Rogers Centre audience that had arrived prepared to cheer the team's championship in over three decades.

Game 6 Recap

The Dodgers produced all of their scoring in the third inning. With two outs, Ohtani was intentionally walked before Smith doubled to left field 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, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

Betts’ hit broke a playoff dry spell and rekindled the title holders' hopes of becoming the initial back-to-back World Series winners since the Yankees captured three straight from 1998 to 2000.

Pitching Duel

Kevin Gausman had been dominant to that point, striking out six of the first seven Dodgers he faced. He struck out eight through three frames, matching a Fall Classic record, but the third-inning barrage proved costly. The Blue Jays' star ended with eight strikeouts over six frames, yielding three runs on three hits and two free passes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meanwhile, was steady again under stress. The righty outdueled Gausman for the second time in a seven days, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six strikeouts. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him came on George Springer two-out single in the third inning, driving in Barger, who had doubled previously in the frame. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his comeback to the starting nine after missing a pair of contests with an oblique injury.

Bullpen Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Justin Wrobleski got out of a tight spot in the seventh, and another rookie Sasaki worked into the ninth before plunking Kirk to start the inning. Barger followed with a two-base hit that became wedged under the left-center-field fence, forcing runners to stay at second and third base.

Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers' Game 3 starting pitcher, came on in relief and induced a popout before Andrés Giménez lined to left field. Hernández made the catch and fired to second to double off Barger, sealing the victory and giving the pitcher his first career save.

Looking Ahead: Seventh Game

The series now comes down to a single contest. Scherzer will start for the Blue Jays, making him the sole active hurler to pitch in more than one World Series Game 7s after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The veteran signed a single-season contract to chase one more title and has been a outspoken presence throughout this postseason.

The Los Angeles squad, looking to be baseball’s initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are projected to rely on Shohei Ohtani for a short outing.