TORONTO — Yoshinobu Yamamoto beat Toronto for the second time in per week, slumping Mookie Betts hit a two-run single in a three-run third inning and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Blue Jays 3-1 on Friday night time to power the World Sequence to a decisive Recreation 7.
Yamamoto was not fairly as sharp as in his Recreation 2 four-hitter, the primary World Sequence full recreation in a decade. He lasted six innings and allowed an RBI single within the third by George Springer, who returned after lacking two video games with an damage to his proper aspect.
Rookie relievers Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki mixed for six outs earlier than starter Tyler Glasnow got here out of the bullpen to flee a ninth-inning jam and rescue the Dodgers.
Glasnow wanted solely three pitches to do it. With runners on second and third and no one out, he bought Ernie Clement to pop up his first supply on the infield for a simple out. Andres Gimenez then hit a line drive to left subject that Enrique Hernandez become a game-ending double play.
Hernandez caught the ball on the run in shallow left-center and fired to second base, the place Miguel Rojas made a troublesome choose of a one-hop throw to double off Addison Barger.
“I used to be enjoying a little bit extra shallow than the cardboard needed me to. However given the scenario, actually quick man at second base, I used to be like, you already know what? I’ll play actually, actually shallow. If he hits it over my head, kudos to him. I really feel like his pop is extra to the pull aspect,” Hernandez stated.
“By some means I used to be capable of hear that the bat broke even with that crowd. The loopy factor is I had no thought the place the ball was as a result of it was within the lights the entire time. However given the scenario within the recreation, the World Sequence on the road and the way good I used to be hitting tonight, I used to be like, it’ll hit me within the face — however I am not stopping. I am not pulling up. And on the very finish, the ball got here out of the lights and went into my glove.”
It was the primary 7-4 game-ending double play in postseason historical past.
“I gave him a extremely arduous throw to catch. I feel it was a greater choose than it was a play on my finish,” Hernandez stated.
Sasaki plunked Alejandro Kirk with an 0-2 pitch to start the inning, and Barger hit a ground-rule double to left-center that bought wedged on the backside of the wall.
That is when Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts summoned Glasnow.
“I simply felt proper there, Roki wasn’t as sharp and I felt proper there, Glas is a man who has swing-and-miss stuff and I simply needed to wager on him,” Roberts stated. “He is been chomping on the bit to make an affect.”
Max Scherzer will begin Recreation 7 on Saturday night time for the Blue Jays. The three-time Cy Younger Award winner additionally began the final World Sequence Recreation 7, getting a no-decision when Washington gained the 2019 title over Houston.
“These guys are actually good at sort of simply turning the web page,” Toronto supervisor John Schneider stated. “That may take some time to sort of unpack. That is a wild ending. I like the best way we performed.”
Glasnow had been lined as much as probably begin for the Dodgers, looking for to change into the primary workforce to win consecutive titles for the reason that New York Yankees gained three straight from 1998-2000. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani additionally could possibly be used as an opener.
“I feel proper now, there is no improper reply,” Roberts stated. “He is actually going to be part of the pitching plan, and with Shohei, it could possibly be two innings, nevertheless it could possibly be 4 innings. So I am unsure the place we will slot him. We’ll have to speak to him first on the place he feels most comfy.”
Los Angeles stored alive its bid for a 3rd title in six seasons and its hopes to be acknowledged as a dynasty.
“Man, we stay for Recreation 7, so right here we go,” Roberts stated.
Yamamoto, a 27-year-old right-hander in his second season with the Dodgers after profitable three MVP awards in Japan, was coming off the primary consecutive postseason full video games since 2001.
He allowed one run and 5 hits with six strikeouts and a stroll, stranding two runners within the sixth when he struck out Daulton Varsho with a splitter on his 96th and ultimate pitch. Yamamoto is 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA in 5 postseason begins and has a 1.20 ERA in his two Sequence outings.
Kevin Gausman misplaced to Yamamoto for the second time regardless of matching a Sequence document by placing out eight within the first three innings behind a dominant splitter.
Tommy Edman doubled with one out within the third for the Dodgers’ first hit. Ohtani was deliberately walked for the fifth time within the Sequence and Will Smith hit an RBI double off the left-field wall on a excessive splitter.
Freddie Freeman walked, citing Betts. The three-time World Sequence champion entered simply 3 for 23 within the Sequence and had been dropped from second to 3rd within the lineup for Recreation 5. He was moved down one other slot to cleanup Friday, his lowest within the batting order since 2017.
Behind 1-2 within the depend, Betts fouled off two pitches and laced Gausman’s third straight fastball between shortstop and third for a 3-0 lead. That ended an 0-for-13 stretch with the bases loaded for the Dodgers that dated to the Division Sequence.
“Truthfully, man, I do know it hasn’t been nice for me,” Betts stated. “However this 12 months actually hasn’t been nice. I simply need to be there to assist the boys. I got here up in an enormous spot. … I simply was capable of finding a strategy to lock in.”
Looking for their first World Sequence title since 1993, the Blue Jays wore powder blue uniforms at residence for the primary time since September after getting wins with them in Video games 4 and 5 in LA.
Toronto scored when Barger doubled to start out the third and got here round on Springer’s two-out single.
Gausman gave up three runs and 6 hits in six innings, getting 15 swings and misses along with his splitter.
Sasaki, a starter turned reliever because the Dodgers tried to shore up their bullpen, escaped a two-on, one-out jam within the eighth by retiring Bo Bichette on a foulout and Varsho on a groundout.