TOP 9: Pitcher Chris Bassitt replaces Seranthony Dominguez to start the inning. Max Muncy strikes out swinging. Enrique Hernandez struck out swinging. Tommy Edman grounds out to second base.
TOP 8: Miguel Rojas flies out to deep right. Reliever Mason Fluharty comes into the game to replace Varland. Shohei Ohtani doubles off the wall in left center. Will Smith intentionally walked. Freddie Freeman flies out to right center. Seranthony Dominguez comes in to replace Fluharty and he walks Mookie Betts to load the bases. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.
BOT 8: Reliever Roki Sasaki starts the inning for the Dodgers. George Springer singles down the first base line. Nathan Lukes pops up to center field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked on a full count, putting the tying run at first base. Bo Bichette pops out to the third base side. Daulton Varsho grounds out to second base to end the inning.
TOP 7: Reliever Louis Varland replaces Kevin Gausman to start the inning. Max Muncy flies out to right field. Enrique Hernandez is called out on strikes. Tommy Edman flies out to center field to end the inning.
BOT 7: Reliever Justin Wrobleski replaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gave up five hits and struck out six batters in six innings of work. Alejandro Kirk struck out swinging. Addison Barger grounds out to second base. Ernie Clement hits a double to center field. Andres Gimenez strikes out swinging. The Blue Jays are 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
TOP 6: Freedie Freeman flies out to center field. Mookie Betts grounds out to second base. Teoscar Hernandez grounds out to shortstop to end the inning. Gausman has retired 10 consecutive batters since giving up three runs in the third inning. He’s thrown 93 pitches, given up three hits and struck out eight.
BOT 6: George Springer grounds out to shortstop. Nathan Lukes flies out to center field. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a double to left field. Bo Bichette walks on six pitches. Daulton Varsho struck out swinging.
TOP 5: Miguel Rojas flies out to right field. Shohei Ohtani grounds out to first base. Will Smith lines out to left field to end the inning.
BOT 5: Alejandro Kirk struck out swinging. Addison Barger was called out on strikes. Ernie Clement singles to shortstop. Andres Gimenez flies out to deep center to end the inning.
TOP 4: Max Muncy grounds out to third base. Enrique Hernandez pops out to shallow right. Tommy Edman pops out to short to end the inning.
BOT 4: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is called out on strikes. Bo Bichette singled to left field. Daulton Varsho grounds into a double play to end the inning.
TOP 3: After Enrique Hernandez is called out on strikes, Tommy Edman hits a sharp double to right field, snapping a string of seven consecutive batters retired by Gausman. Miguel Rojas is called out on strikes. With two outs and first base open, Shohei Ohtani is intentionally walked, putting runners at first and second. Will Smith doubled to left that scores Edman to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Freddie Freeman walked on five pitches. Mookie Betts singles to left, which scores Ohtani and Smith as the Dodgers lead 3-0. Teoscar Hernandez strikes out swinging to end the inning.
BOT 3: Addison Barger opens the inning with a double to left field. Ernie Clement strikes out swinging. Andres Gimenez grounds out to second base, which advances Barger to third base. George Springer singles to deep center to score Barger as the Blue Jays trail the Dodgers 3-1. Nathan Lukes flies out to deep left field to end the inning.
TOP 2: Mookie Betts grounds out to shortstop. Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy both strike out swinging. That’s five strikeouts through the first six batters for Gausman.
BOT 2: Bo Bichette strikes out swinging. Daulton Varsho pops out to the infield and Alejandro Kirk flies out to right center as Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto matches Gausman through the first two innings.
TOP 1: Kevin Gausman gets Shohei Ohtani out swinging to open Game 6 as the Rogers Centre crowd erupts in cheers. Gausman then got Will Smith and Freddie Freeman out swinging to end the inning.
BOT 1: George Springer, who is back in the lineup after missing two games with an injury to his right side, grounds out to third base. Nathan Lukes gets on base on an error charged to Max Muncy. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits into a double play to end the inning.
FIRST PITCH & NATIONAL ANTHEMS
Former Blue Jays outfielder Devon White threw out the first pitch, while singer-songwriter David Grenon performed the Canadian national anthem before Game 6 of the World Series
White, a three-time all-star over his career, was a key member of the Blue Jays team that won back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993.
Grenon, who also performs under the name SoulBear, recently retired after 25 years in the Canadian Armed Forces.
American singer John Vincent performed the national anthem of the United States.
Renditions of “O Canada” before Game 3 and Game 5 attracted criticism after the artists altered some of the lyrics of the anthem to insert political messages.
Major League Baseball provided performers with official lyrics and guidance, and said any changes during live performances were at the artists’ discretion.
-THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Toronto Blue Jays are receiving a major boost to the lineup.
George Springer will return Friday for Game 6 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Springer was unable to play in Games 4 and 5 after suffering an injury to his right side in Game 3.
The 36-year-old will take back the leadoff spot as the Blue Jays’ designated hitter for the potential World Series clincher.
Springer left in the seventh inning of Toronto’s 6-5, 18-inning loss in Game 3 on Monday. After fouling off a pitch, he called for a trainer to come out and left the game after a brief discussion.
SHAKE IT UP
One loss from elimination, the Los Angeles Dodgers are shaking up their lineup again for Game 6 of the World Series.
After moving from second to third in the order in Wednesday’s Game 5 loss, shortstop Mookie Betts dropped into the cleanup spot Friday against Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman.
Game 5 was the first time since 2021 that Betts started but wasn’t in one of the top two spots in Los Angeles’ lineup. Betts is 3 for 23 with no RBIs and no extra-base hits in the World Series.
Catcher Will Smith was set to bat second for the second straight game. Freddie Freeman moved from fourth to third.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he wanted to give leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani, Smith and Freeman the chance to get on base in front of Betts.
Tommy Edman moved from second base to center field, his first outfield start this postseason, and was set to bat eighth. Miguel Rojas made his first start of the World Series at second base, batting ninth.
The Dodgers shuffled their lineup before Game 5 but had just four hits in a 6-1 loss. Los Angeles had six hits in a 6-2 defeat in Game 4.
Los Angeles is batting .236 as a team through 15 games this October. Dodgers batters have struck out 148 times in 533 at-bats.
Roberts also said Ohtani would not be available to pitch Friday. Ohtani took the loss in Tuesday’s Game 4, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.
-THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LUCKY 6
The last four best-of-seven series involving Toronto sports teams were all won in six games:
1967: Toronto Maple Leafs defeated Montreal Canadiens
1992: Toronto Blue Jays defeated Atlanta Braves
1993: Toronto Blue Jays defeated Philadelphia Phillies
2019: Toronto Raptors defeated Golden State Warriors
–NEWS STAFF
BYE-BYE BO?
Bo Bichette is focused on the World Series, even if he might only have two games left with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bichette spoke with the media ahead of Game 6 of the World Series between Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Blue Jays lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, meaning there are a maximum two games left in Major League Baseball’s season.
The 27-year-old shortstop is eligible to become a free agent in the off-season.
He says that he “would be lying” if he said he hasn’t thought about his time in Toronto ending.
However, Bichette says he’s “got a World Series to win.”
-THE CANADIAN PRESS
PREVIEW
The Toronto Blue Jays take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series and can clinch their third-ever World Series title with a win.
Toronto has a 54-27 record in home games and a 94-68 record overall. Blue Jays hitters have a collective .427 slugging percentage to rank third in the AL.
Los Angeles has a 41-40 record on the road and a 93-69 record overall. Dodgers hitters have a collective .327 on-base percentage, the fifth-best percentage in MLB play.
The teams square off Friday for the ninth time this season, with the season series tied 4-4.
-THE ASSOCIATED PRESS