November 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\nThe series returned to Toronto after three bruising games at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers outlasted the Blue Jays across the 18 innings of Game 3. Toronto responded by trouncing the Dodgers the next two nights. The Blue Jays were dinged, with Bo Bichette nursing his knee and George Springer limited by discomfort in his side. The pride of the Dodgers was dented, the entire lineup stuck in a rut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Thursday, the Dodgers experienced some unintentional levity. Roberts offered to race speedy rookie Hyeseong Kim around the bases. From first base, Kim spotted several feet to his 53-year-old manager, who once stole 49 bags in a season. Roberts offered proof that the summer of 2006 was long ago. As he cut across the edge of the grass near second base, Roberts blew a tire and face-planted in the dirt. He heaved himself up and pretended to favor his right hamstring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat,\u201d Roberts declared on Friday, \u201cwill be the last full sprint I ever do in my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A more encouraging display occurred when Ohtani took batting practice. Because Ohtani so rarely takes swings outside before games, his B.P. is considered a must-see. He clobbered baseballs over the right-field fence, including one that reached the Corona Rooftop Patio in the third deck.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The team needed a reset. In the final two games at Dodger Stadium, the group went hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position. In the third inning of Game 6, Tommy Edman broke up a dominant stretch from Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman by whacking a first-pitch fastball for a double. Gausman had struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced, but he ran into trouble as the lineup turned over. After an intentional walk of Ohtani, catcher Will Smith dug out a splitter for an RBI double.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A walk by Freddie Freeman set the table for Betts. He had not batted fourth since 2017. For most hitters, the cleanup spot would not be considered a demotion. But Betts has resided on that elite plane in which managers design their lineups around getting him as many at-bats as possible. He led off for the Dodgers until Ohtani arrived, at which point he became the No. 2 hitter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roberts rationalized the demotion by encouraging Betts to simplify his approach. All Betts needed to do was drive in runs. Even after he fell behind in the count to Gausman, Betts cracked a fastball into left field to bring home Ohtani and Smith.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talked about letting the game come to him a little bit,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cAnd he got a huge hit for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Toronto clawed back a run in the bottom of the frame. Outfielder Addison Barger led off with a triple. Two batters later, Springer stepped to the plate. Springer had missed the previous two games with discomfort in his right side. The discomfort remained visible as he grimaced after each swing on Friday. He still managed to smash an RBI single off a cutter from Yamamoto.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yamamoto steadied himself to slip through the middle innings. After Bichette hit a one-out single in the fourth, Yamamoto jammed outfielder Daulton Varsho with a splitter to start a 4-6-3 double play. An inning later, he fanned catcher Alejandro Kirk with a stomach-turning splitter and froze Barger with a 97-mph fastball for another strikeout. Because Yamamoto possesses so many weapons, his fastball can turn hitters into statues.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\n Yoshinobu Yamamoto continued his excellent postseason. (John E. Sokolowski \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
The Toronto lineup turned over for a third time to open the sixth. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stayed back on a curveball and flicked the ball off the left-field wall for a two-out double. As the lefty Wrobleski warmed in the Dodgers bullpen, Bichette walked. Roberts stuck with Yamamoto against Varsho, a left-handed hitter. Yamamoto rewarded the manager for his faith. Varsho swung over a devilish splitter to strand the runners as Yamamoto exited the stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t his nine-inning complete game like he\u2019s done recently, but yeah, six strong innings from him, we needed it,\u201d Smith said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays maintained their unrelenting pressure against the Dodgers\u2019 relievers. Roberts hoped Sasaki could record six outs. The first three were not easy. Sasaki threw 25 pitches in the eighth as he worked around a leadoff single by Springer and a walk by Guerrero.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An inning later, Sasaki clipped Kirk with an errant splitter. Five pitchers later, Barger smashed an elevated fastball to the wall. The ball cleared the head of Dodgers defensive replacement Justin Dean. When he saw the ball wedged underneath the base of the wall, he threw his arms skyward to signal that the ball was stuck. Barger and pinch runner Myles Straw kept running, which sent the crowd into a frenzy, one only quelled when the umpires ruled the play a ground-rule double.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBeen here a long time,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen a ball get lodged ever. Just caught a tough break there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of Straw scoring, he returned to third base. Barger settled at second. Glasnow entered the fray as the crowd began to ponder a sequel to Joe Carter\u2019s walkoff in 1993.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was not to be. Clement popped up. Gim\u00e9nez\u2019s liner hung up long enough for Hern\u00e1ndez to come charging. And Barger was caught in no man\u2019s land, unable to beat the throw that sent Rojas to the ground, the Dodgers into celebration, the Blue Jays into shock, and this series into Game 7.\u00a0<\/p>\n