The Los Angeles Dodgers extended the World Series to a winner-take-all Game 7 after securing a 3–1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 on Friday night at Rogers Centre. Entering the matchup, oddsmakers listed Toronto as slight home favorites at approximately –115, with the Dodgers posted around +105. Those odds reflected the tight nature of the series but did not fully predict the dramatic ending that unfolded in the ninth inning, when a rare defensive play sealed Los Angeles’ victory.
The Dodgers held a 3–1 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, but the inning quickly became tense. Roki Sasaki hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, placing the tying run at the plate with no outs. Addison Barger followed with a deep drive to left-center that became lodged at the base of the wall, an unusual occurrence that resulted in a ground-rule double instead of a play that might have cleared the bases. The runners were placed at second and third, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to summon Tyler Glasnow, who had been expected to start Game 7 but was available on regular rest.
Glasnow needed only three pitches to record his first career postseason save. Ernie Clement popped up the first pitch he saw to first base. Andrés Giménez then lined a ball into shallow left field, where Kiké Hernández made a difficult, charging catch before firing to second base to double off Barger. The play marked the first game-ending double play in postseason history initiated by a left fielder, securing a rare and dramatic finish.
Hernández later stated that he never saw the incoming ball clearly due to the stadium lighting. He continued running without slowing down, anticipating the ball might strike him if he misjudged it. The throw to Miguel Rojas arrived in time to complete the double play, though players and fans had to wait for a replay review that ultimately upheld the call.
The defensive stand preserved the work of starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who defeated Toronto for the second time in six days. Yamamoto allowed one run across six innings, improving to 4–1 this postseason while maintaining a 1.56 ERA. Although not as dominant as he had been in his complete-game performance in Game 2, he worked out of multiple early jams before turning the game over to the bullpen.
Los Angeles built its lead during a three-run third inning. Tommy Edman doubled for the Dodgers’ first hit of the night, and Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked. Will Smith then delivered an RBI double off the left-field wall, scoring Edman and giving the Dodgers their first run. Freddie Freeman walked to load the bases, bringing Mookie Betts to the plate. Betts, who had been shifted lower in the lineup due to a prolonged slump, broke an 0-for-13 stretch with the bases loaded by lining a two-run single between shortstop and third. The hit extended Los Angeles’ lead to 3–0 and provided all the offense the team would need.
George Springer, returning after missing two games with a sore side, cut the deficit with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Toronto’s offense threatened again in the seventh and eighth, but relievers Justin Wrobleski and Sasaki held firm. Bo Bichette fouled out in a key moment, and Daulton Varsho grounded out with two runners on to end another late-inning threat.
Toronto will now turn to veteran Max Scherzer for Game 7. The forty-one-year-old will become just the fourth pitcher to start multiple World Series winner-take-all games, joining Bob Gibson, Lew Burdette and Don Larsen. Scherzer previously started and won a Game 7 with Washington in 2019. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have not announced a starter, though Ohtani and Glasnow both remain possibilities.
With Los Angeles seeking its third championship in six seasons, the team retains the opportunity to become the first back-to-back World Series winner since the New York Yankees completed their run from 1998 to 2000. Toronto, looking to clinch its first title since 1993, now faces a decisive matchup that will conclude the World Series in November for the tenth time. Both teams enter with momentum swings behind them and the promise of a historic Game 7 ahead.
