TORONTO — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ season was hanging by a thread Friday night when a two-run cushion nearly vanished under the bright lights of Rogers Centre. With the Toronto Blue Jays mounting a furious ninth-inning rally, utility man Kiké Hernández delivered one of the most stunning defensive plays in postseason history — securing a 3-1 win and sending the World Series to a decisive Game 7.
The Blue Jays appeared moments away from tying the game when Andrés Giménez lifted a soft liner into short left field. Tracking the ball in the glare of stadium lights, Hernández sprinted in, made a last-second catch, and fired a one-hop strike to second base to double off pinch-runner Addison Barger. It was the first game-ending double play from an outfielder in World Series history.
“The ball disappeared in the lights,” Hernández admitted afterward. “I wasn’t stopping.”
The play brought a breathtaking end to a tense inning. Earlier, a drive by Barger lodged under the padding of the outfield wall — a rare occurrence that triggered a ground-rule double. The Rogers Centre crowd roared, believing two runs had scored, but umpires quickly placed runners at second and third.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts immediately summoned Tyler Glasnow, who had been expected to start Game 7. Glasnow needed only three pitches to record his first save of the Series.
“We just needed swing-and-miss right there,” Roberts explained.
Yamamoto Silences Toronto — Again
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, already establishing himself as a postseason force, allowed one run over six innings and improved to 4-1 this October. His sharp command frustrated Toronto hitters, just as it had in his complete-game gem earlier in the series.
Los Angeles broke through in the third inning with a three-run rally highlighted by Will Smith’s RBI double and a two-run single from Mookie Betts, who was moved down in the lineup after a prolonged slump.
“I don’t care where I hit — I just care about winning,” Betts said.
Blue Jays Fight Back Late
George Springer returned to the lineup and drove in Toronto’s only run. The Blue Jays threatened in the seventh and eighth, but rookie Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki navigated trouble to preserve the lead.
The ninth inning presented their best chance, but Hernández’s heroics shut the door.
“It was iconic,” said Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, who started for the first time this postseason in an effort to spark the lineup.
Game 7 Is Set
Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer takes the mound for Toronto, becoming one of just four pitchers to start multiple World Series winner-take-all games. The Dodgers have not yet announced their starter — with Glasnow now used, speculation has shifted toward two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
“It’s the two best words in sports,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Game 7.”
First pitch arrives with history on the line: Toronto’s first title since 1993, or the Dodgers becoming MLB’s first repeat champion since the Yankees’ dynasty run from 1998-2000.
Baseball’s October Classic will conclude in November — fitting, for a series this dramatic