In an astonishing 6 hours and 39 minutes, Los Angeles Dodgers took down Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the World Series, thanks to a walk-off home run by Freddie Freeman. The epic game that tied the longest Fall Classic contest ever played, ended with both teams exhausted but victorious for the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the most remarkable postseason performances in baseball history, reaching base nine times – a first in MLB since 1942 – with two home runs and five walks. He became the first hitter to receive that many intentional passes and achieved four extra-base hits in a World Series game.
The seesaw game started strong for Los Angeles, but Toronto ripped away their lead in the fourth inning with three runs on a defensive mistake. The Blue Jays snapped out of their cold streak after Game 2 and stayed hot until Ohtani tied the score for the third time with a 401-foot home run in the seventh.
Toronto declined to let Ohtani beat them again, intentionally walking him multiple times in the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth innings. The Blue Jays' strategy worked, as their bullpen kept finding exits despite being forced into emergency options due to an injured George Springer.
The Dodgers countered with a display of bullpen endurance, using 10 pitchers – a World Series record for a single game – and holding off multiple threats throughout the night. Clayton Kershaw entered in the 12th inning with the bases loaded and got a groundout, while rookie right-hander Will Klein delivered four scoreless innings.
The crowd nearly erupted when Freeman took the plate again in the thirteenth, but his deep fly ball fell short of the wall. However, he redeemed himself in the 18th inning, hitting a walk-off home run that traveled 406 feet to straightaway center and sealed the game for the Dodgers.
With the win, Los Angeles is now two wins away from a championship and could clinch their title at home for the first time since 1963. Ohtani will take the mound in Game 4, looking to build on his remarkable performance and push the Dodgers closer to history.
Shohei Ohtani delivered one of the most remarkable postseason performances in baseball history, reaching base nine times – a first in MLB since 1942 – with two home runs and five walks. He became the first hitter to receive that many intentional passes and achieved four extra-base hits in a World Series game.
The seesaw game started strong for Los Angeles, but Toronto ripped away their lead in the fourth inning with three runs on a defensive mistake. The Blue Jays snapped out of their cold streak after Game 2 and stayed hot until Ohtani tied the score for the third time with a 401-foot home run in the seventh.
Toronto declined to let Ohtani beat them again, intentionally walking him multiple times in the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, and fifteenth innings. The Blue Jays' strategy worked, as their bullpen kept finding exits despite being forced into emergency options due to an injured George Springer.
The Dodgers countered with a display of bullpen endurance, using 10 pitchers – a World Series record for a single game – and holding off multiple threats throughout the night. Clayton Kershaw entered in the 12th inning with the bases loaded and got a groundout, while rookie right-hander Will Klein delivered four scoreless innings.
The crowd nearly erupted when Freeman took the plate again in the thirteenth, but his deep fly ball fell short of the wall. However, he redeemed himself in the 18th inning, hitting a walk-off home run that traveled 406 feet to straightaway center and sealed the game for the Dodgers.
With the win, Los Angeles is now two wins away from a championship and could clinch their title at home for the first time since 1963. Ohtani will take the mound in Game 4, looking to build on his remarkable performance and push the Dodgers closer to history.