TORONTO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto beat Toronto for the second time in a week, falling Mookie Betts hit a two-run single in a three-run third inning and defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers restrained Blue Jays On Friday night, a 3-1 score forced the World Series to go to a deciding Game 7.
Yamamoto was not as sharp as his four-hitter in Game 2, the first complete game of the World Series in a decade. He lasted six innings and allowed only an RBI single in the third inning. George Springerwho returned after missing two games with a right side injury.
Rookie pitchers Justin Wrobleski And Rocky Sasaki a total of six outs before the starter Tyler Glasnow came out of the bullpen to avoid a jam in the ninth inning and save the Dodgers.
Glasnow needed just three innings to do it. With runners on second and third, he got Ernie Clement be the first to get your first delivery into the infield. Then Andres Jimenez hit a hit to left field, and Enrique Hernandez turned into a game-ending double play.
Hernandez caught the ball while running in shallow left-center and hit it to second base, where Miguel Rojas made a difficult choice: one jump shot to double Addison Barger.
Max Scherzer will start Game 7 Saturday night for the Blue Jays. He also started the final seventh game of the World Series, a no-decision, when Washington won the 2019 title over Houston.
Glasnow was poised to potentially start for the Dodgers as they sought to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000. Glasnow is likely still available, but a two-way star Shohei Ohtani can also be used as an opener for 2-4 innings on short rest.
“We're not sure, but it's possible,” Roberts said after Game 6. “All this is possible.”
Los Angeles maintained its bid for a third title in six seasons and hopes of being recognized as a dynasty.
Yamamoto, a 27-year-old right-hander who was in his second season with the Dodgers after winning three MVP awards in Japan, pitched his first consecutive complete games in the postseason since 2001.
He allowed one run and five hits with six strikeouts and a walk, stranding two runners in the sixth when he struck out. Dalton Varsho with a splitter on the 96th and final serve. Yamamoto is 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA in five postseason starts and has a 1.20 ERA in his two streaks.
Kevin Gausman lost to Yamamoto for the second time, despite setting a series record by striking out eight in the first three innings after a dominant splitter.
Tommy Edman doubled with one out in the third for the Dodgers' first hit. Ohtani was intentionally walked for the fifth time in the series. Will Smith hit an RBI double off the left field wall on a high splitter.
Freddie Freeman walked while raising Betts. The three-time World Series champion went just 3-for-23 in the series and dropped from second to third in the lineup in Game 5. He was moved down another position to clear Friday, his lowest total since 2017.
Trailing 1-2, Betts fouled out two pitches and missed Gausman's third straight fastball between shortstop and third for a 3-0 lead. That ended an 0-for-13 slump with the bases loaded for the Division Series Dodgers.
Seeking their first World Series title since 1993, the Blue Jays wore blue uniforms at home for the first time since September after leading them to victories in Games 4 and 5 in Los Angeles.
Toronto scored when Barger doubled to start the third and scored on Springer's two-out single.
Gausman gave up three runs and six hits over six innings while getting 15 hits and misses with his splitter.
Sasaki, a starter turned reliever as the Dodgers tried to bolster their bullpen, escaped a two-on-one, one-on-one jam in the eighth by retiring. Bo Bichette on a foul and Varsho on a touchdown.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
