The Toronto Blue Jays have one more chance to end their 2025 MLB season as World Series champions after dropping Game 6 at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1. The Halloween night showdown came to a head in a wild ninth inning, when Alejandro Kirk was hit by a pitch, Addison Barger lined a ball into the outfield that was called dead, and the Dodgers pulled off a stunning double play to force another game. Toronto will play in a Fall Classic Game 7 Saturday night for the first time in franchise history. Here’s how U.S. media are reacting to last night’s LA win: Last out ‘should have never happened’ One of the biggest moments in Friday night’s game was the last out in the bottom of the ninth, which New York Yankees great Alex Rodriguez said, “should never have happened.” “I don’t care how good those plays were, they should have never happened. Because when you are at second base, there is no way, zero per cent, that you can get doubled up there,” A-Rod said on the MLB on Fox panel, referring to Dodgers’ second baseman Miguel Rojas’ out on Addison Barger for the third out to end the game. Rojas caught the ball behind his left knee after Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez grabbed a flyball from Andrés Giménez for the second out. “Especially with (George) Springer coming up and the World Series on the line. You can not get doubled up.” ‘Never seen a World Series game end in this fashion’ The MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger and former Toronto Blue Jay Al Leiter reacted to the scene inside Rogers Centre after Barger was forced out at second base to end the game. “This place was going bananas, folks. And it went from a 12 on the Richter scale of sound to zero in that moment,” said Leiter, who won back-to-back World Series championships with the Jays in ’92 and’93. “Greg, (I’ve) been in a few World Series, seen lot of baseball. I have never seen a World Series game end in this fashion in a home ballpark to really ruin a lot of hearts.” Amsinger agreed and described how “thousands” of fans could be seen remaining in their seats following the double play. “Can you believe what we just saw?” he asked Leiter. “It’s an incredible environment right now and the energy is just weird. If there was ever a half inning that could go from, ‘Oh my goodness we’re about to win the World Series for the first time in 32 years,’ to ‘the other team has momentum heading into a Game 7 of a Fall Classic,’ we just experienced that.” Yamamoto a ‘shutdown pitcher’ L.A.’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto may not have thrown a complete game like he did in Game 2, but he was able to hold down the Blue Jays’ offence Friday night. The elite pitcher threw for six innings, giving up one run and one hit while striking out six of Toronto’s batters. “The best thing for a struggling offence is a dominant, shutdown pitcher. And that’s what they had,” said hall of famer Derek Jeter after Game 6. The Dodgers offence has been relatively quiet in the back half of this series, scoring a total of six runs in their last three games despite having the highest payroll in the league. “They had their three hits in one inning where they were able to score their three runs. First time they’ve scored three runs in an inning (this World Series) and that’s all it took. Then they just relied on their pitching and pitching is really what’s gotten them to this point.” Dodgers needed Rojas’ ‘energy infusion’ to win Game 6 In an article published to the Los Angeles Times Saturday morning, Kevin Baxter writes that Rojas’ ninth inning behind-the-back defensive play was so clutch, it may have saved the Dodgers’ season. “Without that play, the Dodgers’ season could have come to an end Friday — and with it, Rojas’ time in Dodger uniform. He’ll be a free agent after the World Series and, at 37 next season, there’s no guarantee he’ll be back in L.A.," he wrote. Mookie Betts rebounds in Game 6 Mookie Betts said he had “just been terrible” in the lead up to Game 6, going 3-for-23 in the World Series before Friday night. But it was the three-time World Series champion’s two-run single in the top of the third inning that made all the difference. “It felt great to come through for the boys,” Betts is quoted as saying in an article published by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. “Obviously I would love to play well for myself, but that’s kind of irrelevant. I want to play well for the boys. I love everybody in there. I know how much we lean on each other. And when they lean on me, I want to come through for them.” ‘A clinching-game win, Ohtani wants that’ Former MLBer Chris Young discussed the possibility of an Ohtani start, before it was confirmed by the team that he will get the ball in Game 7. ”I think this is lining up perfect for the Ohtani story,” Young said. “When I think of Ohtani, yes, he got his World Series last year with the Dodgers. But you know how he marks off things that he wants to accomplish in his career? One thing I think he wants to accomplish is a win in World Series Game 7. A clinching-game win, Ohtani wants that.” The last time the two-way player faced the Blue Jays on the mound in Game 4, Toronto came away with a 6-2 victory. Ohtani threw for six innings that game and gave up as many hits and four runs. ‘Game 7, there’s nothing like it’ USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale previewed Saturday night’s matchup in an article published earlier this morning. In it, he predicted that there would likely be as much “mayhem” (to use manager John Schnieder’s post-game words) in the series finisher as there was in Game 6. “The Blue Jays are now going to have to do it the hard way, with Shohei Ohtani expected to start – or perhaps even pitch in late relief, meaning he could have to play in the the outfield to stay in the game after pitching," Nightengale wrote. “Game 7, there’s nothing like it.”
