Dodgers Force Decisive Game 7 in World Series with 3-1 Victory Over Blue Jays
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to a winner-take-all game 7 after a resilient 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of the World Series on Tuesday night. Yoshinobu Yamamoto continued his dominant postseason run, and a clutch hit from Mookie Betts propelled the Dodgers to the brink of thier first championship since 2020.
This result sets the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the series, with the Dodgers and Blue Jays set to battle for the title in Game 7. The Dodgers, seeking their third championship in seven seasons, will send max Scherzer to the mound, while the Blue Jays will counter with Kevin Gausman. The winner will be crowned World Series champions, capping off a captivating postseason.
Yamamoto improved to 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts, boasting a 1.20 ERA in his two Series outings. He navigated a tight game, supported by strong relief pitching from Brusdar Graterol, who struck out Giménez to strand a runner in the seventh, and Yusei Kikuchi, who escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth thanks to a foul out by Bo Bichette and a groundout from Daulton Varsho.
The Dodgers broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. Tommy Edman doubled with one out, and Ohtani was intentionally walked for the fifth time in the Series. Smith then hit an RBI double off the left-field wall on a high splitter, followed by a walk to Freeman, bringing up Betts.
Betts, who had been moved down in the batting order to fourth in Game 6 after previously hitting second and then third in Game 5, delivered a crucial two-run single between shortstop and third base, extending the dodgers’ lead to 3-0. The hit ended an 0-for-13 slump with the bases loaded for the Dodgers dating back to the Division Series.
“He could hit me seventh, I don’t care. I just want to win,” saeid Betts,a three-time champion. “Whatever we do,however we get there,I’ll jump on whoever’s back to go.We all get a ring, that’s all I care about.”
The game also featured the first game-ending double play in world Series history in which an outfielder had a putout or assist, according to the Elias sports Bureau.
Scherzer will become the fourth pitcher to start multiple World Series winner-take-all Game 7s, joining Bob Gibson, Lew Burdette, and Don larsen. He previously allowed two runs over five innings for Washington against Houston in 2019, with the Nationals ultimately winning 6-2.
