TORONTO — The baseball season will extend to the latest date allotted by this year’s MLB calendar, the kind of treat that hasn’t presented itself in six years. 

Buckle up for Game 7 of the World Series. 

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are going there to decide this year’s champion after the home team on Friday whiffed in a first attempt to bring euphoria to a city that has waited over three decades for another World Series title. 

In a dramatic finish, the Dodgers utilized their defense and a baserunning snafu to finish a 3-1 victory in Game 6 of the World Series at Rogers Centre. 

Tyler Glasnow pulled a Houdini, recording the final three outs without a run scoring after the Blue Jays put runners on second and third against Roki Sasaki to begin the bottom of the ninth. Glasnow retired Ernie Clement on a first-pitch pop up before Andres Gimenez hit a flair to left that Enrique Hernandez caught and turned into a game-ending double play, as Addison Barger was caught off second retreating to the bag on a close play. 

“Wild way to finish it, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. 

Sasaki plunked Alejandro Kirk to begin the ninth before Barger hit a shot that wedged at the bottom of the center-field fence for a ground-rule double. After Glasnow entered and needed only one pitch to retire Clement, it was Hernandez’s catch and throw to Miguel Rojas that sealed it. 

“[Rojas] made one heck of a pick,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “That was awesome.” 

Saturday will be the first Game 7 of a World Series since 2019, when the Nationals beat the Astros. The Dodgers are attempting to become the first repeat World Series winner since the Yankees, who won three straight from 1998-2000. 

“I don’t think the pressure, the moment, is going to be too big for us,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, after two straight complete games, was relegated to six innings in which he allowed one earned run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. The right-hander, who has posted a 1.56 ERA this postseason, was only guilty on this night of an elevated pitch count in the middle innings that prevented him from working deeper, but that was a credit to the professional approach these Blue Jays bring to the plate. 

“Last outing, I wasn’t in trouble early on,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “Today I was trying to be more careful. As the game went on I had to pitch with runners on, but I think I did my job.” 

The Jays received a solid outing from Kevin Gausman, who allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks with eight strikeouts over six innings. All the Dodgers’ scoring against the right-hander came in the third inning, when they scored three runs. 

Gausman struck out the side in the first inning and recorded eight of his first nine outs with a strikeout. The eight strikeouts over three innings to begin a game tied a World Series record. 

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Tommy Edman’s double ignited the third inning for the Dodgers. After Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked, Smith stroked a double for the game’s first run. Freddie Freeman walked to load the bases and Mookie Betts delivered a two-run single that extended the lead to 3-0. 

It was a much-needed contribution from Betts, who began the day 3-for-23 (.130) in the series and was shifted from second in the batting order to cleanup by Roberts. Betts’ two RBIs gave him eight this postseason. 

George Springer’s return to the lineup after two straight games missed with side discomfort paid dividends for the Blue Jays: The veteran DH delivered an RBI single in the third that sliced the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1. Barger, a strong possibility for series MVP should the Blue Jays win, began the rally with a leadoff double before Springer, with two outs, swung at a 3-0 pitch and singled in the run. 

Yamamoto escaped the sixth by striking out Daulton Varsho for the final out with two runners on base. Yamamoto threw 20 pitches in the frame and extended his count to 95 overall. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stroked a two-out double and Bichette walked before Varsho became strikeout No. 6 for Yamamoto. 

Clement stroked a two-out double against lefty reliever Justin Wrobleski in the seventh before Giménez struck out to end the threat. 

The Blue Jays have lost momentum in this series previously and rebounded, most notably following losses in Games 2 and 3 (the latter of which lasted 18 innings). 

“It’s Game 7 of the World Series in your home stadium,” Schneider said. “What the hell else do you want?”