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 pressure 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 sport in a decade. He lasted six innings and allowed solely a third-inning RBI single by George Springer, who returned after lacking two video games with an damage to his proper facet.
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, he acquired Ernie Clement to pop up his first supply on the infield for the primary out. Andrés Giménez then hit a line drive to left subject that Kiké Hernández was a game-ending double play.
Hernández caught the ball on the run in shallow left-center and fired to second base, the place Miguel Rojas made a tricky decide of a one-hop throw to double off Addison Barger.
Max Scherzer will begin Recreation 7 on Saturday night time for the Blue Jays. He additionally began the final World Sequence Recreation 7, getting a no-decision when Washington gained the 2019 title over Houston.
Glasnow had been lined as much as doubtlessly begin for the Dodgers, searching for to change into the primary staff to win consecutive titles for the reason that New York Yankees gained three straight from 1998-2000. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani additionally may very well be used as an opener.
Los Angeles stored alive its bid for a 3rd title in six seasons and its hopes to be acknowledged as a dynasty.
Yamamoto, a 27-year-old right-hander in his second season with the Dodgers after successful 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 closing 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 report by putting 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 slide with the bases loaded for the Dodgers that dated to the Division Sequence.
In search of their first World Sequence title since 1993, the Blue Jays wore powder blue uniforms at dwelling 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 scored on Springer’s two-out single.
Gausman gave up three runs and 6 hits in six innings, getting 15 swings and misses together 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.
Scherzer and Glasnow began Recreation 3, gained by the Dodgers 6-5 in 18 innings. A 41-year-old right-hander, Scherzer will change into solely the fourth pitcher to start out a number of World Sequence winner-take-all Recreation 7s after Bob Gibson (1964, ’67, ’68), Lew Burdette and Don Larsen (each 1957 and ’58). Scherzer allowed two runs over 5 innings for Washington in opposition to Houston in 2019, and the Nationals rallied for a 6-2 win.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
