When was the last time we saw a World Series this competitive? With the Blue Jays up 3-2, Game 6 has all the makings of a Dodgers comeback, and maybe even a Game 7 thriller. For baseball fans, it doesn’t get much better than this. But it looks like the Jays are pushing for Game 7 over the Dodgers! Right now, though, the Dodgers are leading 3-1, and fans are buzzing about why the Blue Jays are falling behind. Their verdict?

It’s less about the Dodgers’ heroics and more about the Jays’ mistakes. And they might have a point because when you intentionally walk a slumping slugger only to get burned by the next hitter, that kind of decision can really come back to bite you in a game this big.

“The Blue Jays intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani with a runner on second and two outs. Will Smith responded by hammering a double into the left-field corner to score one. Freddie Freeman then walked. The Dodgers are up, 1-0, and the bases are loaded for Mookie Betts. Huge moment,” MLB insider Jeff Passan shared the breaking news.

Well, things actually started pretty well for the Blue Jays. In the first inning, the Dodgers looked completely overmatched with Ohtani, Smith, and Freddie Freeman all striking out in order. Then in the second, it was more of the same with Betts, Teoscar Hernandez, and Max Muncy went down one-two-three…

But everything changed in the third. Jays manager John Schneider made a puzzling call as he decided to walk Ohtani intentionally. Not strike him out, just walk him. Result? With two outs and runners on first and second, Smith ripped a two-run double down the left-field line to put the Dodgers ahead. Freeman drew a walk right after, and then Betts knocked a single up the same line to drive in two more. Suddenly, it was 3–0!

Was it a blunder? Absolutely.

However, what truly raised eyebrows was Schneider’s decision to intentionally walk a hitter who had gone 0-for-4 in Game 5 — to face Smith, who was 3-for-5 with runners in scoring position. That choice not only sparked the Dodgers’ offense but also paved the way for Betts to drive in those crucial extra runs.

What makes the move even more baffling is how it mirrors some of baseball’s most notorious postseason blunders. Fans were quick to draw comparisons to Buck Showalter’s cautious walk of Barry Bonds in 2002 and Joe Maddon’s over-managing moments during the Cubs’ 2016 run — both cases where excessive strategizing nearly cost their teams dearly. Statistically, the call to put Ohtani on base simply didn’t make sense.

Ohtani entered the game with only a modest OPS with runners in scoring position, while Will Smith had been one of the Dodgers’ most reliable postseason bats, slugging over .500. Even more striking, Statcast data revealed that Kevin Gausman had held Ohtani to just a .167 average on splitters all season — among the lowest marks for any left-handed power hitter.

By overlooking both the numbers and the game’s rhythm, Schneider disrupted Gausman’s momentum and handed the Dodgers the very spark they needed. It’s no wonder fans were left wondering — what exactly was Schneider thinking, walking Ohtani in that moment?

Blue Jays get called out by the fans

How a mere decision could backfire is well witnessed tonight. But why? Fans wonder. “It was insanely stupid at the time, and they will lose bc of it,” one fan said. “The future of the series hinges on this one moment,” added another. Absolutely, this moment could define tonight’s result, and currently, with the Dodgers still leading 3-1 in the 6th, Blue Jays fans fear it’s just a matter of reality. And guess what: Dodgers winning tonight would force a game 7 for the series decider, and the Blue Jays will be tested again.

So yes, a small decision, but it could impact the trajectory of the World Series.

And it already proved to be a blunder for the Blue Jays. “Bad move by Schneider. Would’ve waited to make that decision to walk Ohtani,” one user remarked. “Bases loaded and the pressure’s on Mookie. One wrong move and this could turn into a real shitshow. Fingers crossed he delivers!” A perfect prediction by another.

Notably, Gausman breezed through the first two innings. After Smith, Mookie Betts, who’d been struggling all series, came through two batters later, lining a fastball into left-center to drive in a pair of runs. And just like that, the Dodgers were up 3–0!!!

Moreover, apart from gifting the game to the Dodgers, the Blue Jays have just shown their lack of trust in Kevin Gausman. One fan said, “Maybe don’t intentionally walk when your SP strikes out 7 of the first 9 batters….”

Reportedly, in this postseason, Gausman had a 2-2 record with a 3.03 ERA across six appearances. Even in his last start in game 2, he held the Dodgers to three runs on four hits over 6 2/3 innings.

So, not trusting on Gausman to strike out Ohtani came down heavily on the Blue Jays.