TORONTO — The Los Angeles Dodgers secured a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, forcing a decisive Game 7 in the World Series. The win came after a tense ninth inning where the Dodgers nearly lost their lead.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had previously defeated Toronto in Game 2, pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits. Mookie Betts, who had been struggling, contributed significantly with a two-run single during a three-run third inning.

The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the third, with Will Smith also driving in a run. George Springer, returning from injury, managed to score for the Blue Jays with an RBI single in the same inning.

As the game progressed to the ninth, the Dodgers found themselves in a precarious situation. Roki Sasaki hit Alejandro Kirk with a pitch, and Addison Barger followed with a ground-rule double that lodged in the left-center wall, placing runners on second and third.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opted to bring in Tyler Glasnow, who had been slated to start Game 7. Glasnow quickly made an impact, needing only three pitches to secure the first save of the Series. He induced a pop-up from Ernie Clement and then faced Andrés Giménez, who hit a ball to left field.

Kiké Hernández made a remarkable play, catching the ball while running and throwing to second base to double off Barger. "I had no idea where the ball was because it was in the lights the whole time," Hernández said. "I just kept going, and at the very end, the ball came out of the lights and went into my glove." This play marked the first game-ending double play in postseason history involving an outfielder.

Yamamoto improved his postseason record to 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA. The Dodgers' offense, which has struggled throughout the Series, saw Betts break an 0-for-13 streak with the bases loaded. "Honestly, man, I know it hasn’t been great for me," Betts said. "But I just want to be there to help the boys. I came up in a big spot."

Max Scherzer is set to start Game 7 for the Blue Jays, while the Dodgers have yet to announce their starting pitcher. The matchup will mark the first time since 1998-2000 that a team has a chance to win consecutive titles.

As the teams prepare for the final game, Roberts expressed excitement, saying, "Man, we live for Game 7, so here we go." The World Series will conclude in November for the tenth time in history, adding to the anticipation surrounding the decisive game.