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

The reigning title holders ended Toronto’s late-game comeback with a dramatic game-ending twin killing, silencing a home crowd that had come ready to cheer the city’s championship in 32 years.

Game 6 Recap

Los Angeles produced all of their offense in the third frame. With two away, Ohtani was purposely passed before Smith doubled to left to score Edman. Freeman drew a walk to fill the bases, and Mookie Betts delivered with a two-run single to the opposite field, giving the Dodgers a three-run advantage.

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

Mound Duel

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

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in contrast, was steady again under pressure. The righty outpitched his counterpart for the second occasion in a week, allowing a single run on five hits over six frames with six Ks. He improved to four wins and one loss this playoffs with a 1.56 ERA.

The lone score against him resulted from Springer’s two-out single in the third inning, scoring Addison Barger, who had doubled earlier in the inning. Springer’s hit offered a brief spark in his return to the lineup after missing a pair of contests with an side strain.

Relief Heroics

After that, the Los Angeles relievers took over. Rookie Wrobleski escaped a tight spot in the seventh, and fellow rookie Sasaki pitched into the ninth before hitting Kirk to start the frame. Addison 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.

Glasnow, Los Angeles’ third game starter, entered in a relief role and got a pop fly before Giménez hit a line drive to left. Enrique Hernández caught the ball and fired to second to retire the runner, sealing the victory and earning Glasnow his first-ever successful save.

Looking Ahead: Game 7

The series now boils down to one game. Scherzer will take the mound for Toronto, becoming the sole active hurler to start multiple seventh games of the World Series after accomplishing that in 2019 with Washington. The veteran inked a single-season contract to chase another championship and has been a outspoken presence throughout this playoff run.

The Los Angeles squad, aiming to become baseball’s initial repeat champions in almost 25 years, are expected to lean on Shohei Ohtani for a brief appearance.