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Bradford Doolittle
TORONTO — The cacophony at the Rogers Centre commenced substantially before the initial pitch and persisted almost unabated throughout the nine compelling, fraught innings of Game 6 in the World Series. The uproar abated momentarily in the concluding half of the ninth, and owing, at a minimum, in part to that occurrence, a Game 7 will transpire.
The Los Angeles Dodgers averted defeat in a tumultuous bottom of the ninth to triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 3-1 on Friday, thereby leveling the World Series at three games each. Game 7 is slated for Saturday evening.
“Game 7. Unbelievable,” expressed the Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez, whose contribution was instrumental in securing the Game 7 opportunity. “This embodies the aspirations we’ve harbored since childhood.”
The contest culminated when Toronto shortstop Andres Gimenez hit a line drive that resulted in a game-ending double play. Hernandez sprinted forward to intercept the liner in left field and executed a one-hop throw to second base, where Miguel Rojas skillfully secured the ball to complete the double play on the Blue Jays’ Addison Barger, who, as the potential tying run, had strayed excessively far from second base.
Gimenez’s hit off Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, in a rare relief appearance, appeared poised to fall, potentially tying the score by driving in pinch runner Myles Straw from third and possibly Barger.
“Honestly, I didn’t process much,” Glasnow admitted. “My immediate thought was, ‘Please avoid being a hit. Great. It’s not a hit. Perfect.’ That, essentially, encompassed my thought process.”
Hernandez swiftly assessed the situation, accelerated toward the infield, and caught Gimenez’s line drive. He then executed an off-balance throw to Rojas, who caught the ball as Barger frantically retreated toward the base. The close out call was upheld upon review, bringing the game to a conclusion.
Hernandez attributed his successful read on Gimenez’s hit to a transient lull in the crowd noise.
“I was anticipating his contact with the ball directing it toward the left side of the field and positioning myself shallowly to prevent the runner at second base from scoring,” Hernandez explained. “However, in the instant Glasnow delivered the pitch, the crowd quieted, enabling me to discern that the bat had broken. Consequently, I gained a significant head start on the ball, allowing me to move in effectively.”
All four runs in the game were tallied in the third inning. The Dodgers’ three-run sequence was punctuated by a two-run single from struggling shortstop Mookie Betts. The Blue Jays countered with a run on George Springer’s single.
In a parallel narrative, L.A. starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his counterpart, Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman, reprised their Game 2 showdown, with both pitchers delivering six formidable innings and entrusting the game to their respective bullpens.
The scoreless innings accumulated, but the Blue Jays pressured reliever Roki Sasaki, who was striving for a two-inning save but encountered command challenges. He initiated the ninth by hitting catcher Alejandro Kirk, who was then substituted on the bases by Straw.
Subsequently, the pandemonium ensued.
Barger connected emphatically with a Sasaki fastball, sending it over Hernandez’s head in left field with an exit velocity of 106 mph as Straw advanced around the bases. The ball appeared destined for the padding on the outfield wall but instead became lodged directly beneath it, halting abruptly between the padding and the warning track.
Disarray permeated the scene. Dodgers center fielder Justin Dean sprinted over and signaled with raised hands, drawing attention to the trapped ball. Hernandez, who initially mirrored Dean’s gesture, promptly urged Dean to retrieve the ball and relay it to the infield, as Barger was circling the bases.
“I was vehemently instructing him to secure the ball and execute the throw because the ultimate decision rests with the umpire’s discretion,” Hernandez elaborated. “The mere entrapment of the ball does not automatically guarantee a ground-rule double. Hence, my vociferous exhortations. This explains the slight rasp in my voice.”
Meanwhile, left-field umpire John Tumpane immediately signaled time upon observing the ball’s entrapment. Taking no presumptions, Barger rounded third and touched home plate. The spectators erupted, convinced they had witnessed the Blue Jays tie the score on a two-run inside-the-park home run.
“I’ve been involved for a considerable duration,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider remarked. “I’ve never encountered a ball becoming lodged in that manner. We simply experienced an unfortunate turn of events.”
The play was officially ruled a ground-rule double, directing Barger back to second and Straw to third. Their progress was halted following the replay review confirming the ruling.
Glasnow, undergoing warm-up drills in the bullpen amidst the unfolding events, entered the game to relieve Sasaki after completing seven or eight warm-up pitches and induced Ernie Clement to pop out to first on his initial offering.
Two pitches subsequently, Gimenez lined the ball toward Hernandez, culminating in the game’s resolution.
“Stay aloft. Maintain altitude,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recounted his thoughts as Hernandez converged on the ball. “Kike demonstrates exceptional instincts. He stands out as one of the most captivating players to observe, and his baseball acumen surpasses that of anyone I’ve encountered.”
According to ESPN Research, the Dodgers stand as the eighth team in World Series annals to conclude a game with a double play while facing elimination, marking the first instance since the 1972 Reds in Game 5 against the Athletics.
Consequently, a Game 7 is set, a fitting culmination to a series distinguished by its abundance of dramatic junctures and exceptional performances.
“Baseball merits a Game 7,” Hernandez asserted. “This has manifested as a truly exceptional World Series. The realization of a Game 7 is entirely warranted. Both teams have exhibited unwavering dedication and effort.”
