The Los Angeles Dodgers faced a must-win Game 6 on Friday, trailing 3-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. Los Angeles had Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound again after the second-year starter threw back-to-back complete games. However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled Yamamoto in the sixth inning, trusting his bullpen with the team’s season on the line.
The gamble paid off. LA’s relievers protected a 3-1 lead through three innings, and Roberts pressed all the right buttons by bringing in Tyler Glasnow to close out the game. The Dodgers won on a wild, game-ending double play that sealed a 7-4 victory, sending the World Series to a decisive Game 7.
“This is do-or-die. You’ve gotta leave it all out there and pick up the pieces,” Roberts told Ken Rosenthal after the Game 6 victory, per FOX Sports: MLB. “From Yamamoto to what [Justin Wrobleski] did tonight. We got hits when we needed to, Mookie came up big. Man, we live for Game 7, so here we go!” the veteran manager added.
### Dave Roberts Confident in Bullpen After Game 6 Win
The Dodgers’ offense had been in a slump, scoring just three combined runs in the last two games. The team didn’t exactly break out in Game 6 either, as the Blue Jays limited LA to four hits. But the Dodgers went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and plated three runs — enough to secure the win.
Despite being down in the series, Freddie Freeman remained confident that the Dodgers could make a comeback. Mookie Betts had his first multi-RBI game since the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, and Will Smith’s RBI double accounted for the team’s other run.
### Pitching Was the Story of the Night
Roberts pulled Yamamoto after 96 pitches. Justin Wrobleski relieved the Dodgers’ ace in the seventh inning before passing the baton to Roki Sasaki in the eighth. When Sasaki ran into trouble early in the ninth inning, Roberts brought in Glasnow.
“I just felt right there, Roki wasn’t as sharp. [Glasnow] is a guy that has swing-and-miss stuff and I just wanted to bet on him. He’s been champing at the bit to make an impact,” Roberts explained.
### Looking Ahead to Game 7
Roberts also confirmed that Shohei Ohtani would be “part of the pitching plan” for Game 7.
“With Shohei, it could be two innings but it could be four innings. So I’m not sure where we’re gonna slot him. We’re gonna have to talk to him first and see where he’s most comfortable,” Roberts said.
The Dodgers now carry momentum into the winner-takes-all Game 7, eager to capitalize on their resilience and strategic bullpen management to claim the World Series title.
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