The Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays saw their Game 3 matchup head to 18 innings. It was the fifth time an MLB postseason game reached 18 frames. It was also the third time a World Series game had gone that long.
The Dodgers-Blue Jays epic showdown ended with an LA star pulling off the same feat for the second consecutive World Series. Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman left the Jays on the field after walking it off with his blast off Brenden Little.
Freeman left the New York Yankees biting the dust in Game 1 of last fall’s World Series, hitting a walk-off grand slam to end the night.
On Monday night, Freeman struck again, adding to the intense drama. Here’s a look at the two historic blasts:
Freeman has pulled off a feat like none other in MLB history. Yes, the postseason and World Series have had their share of classic walk-offs. But to do it twice, in consecutive Fall Classic appearances, is something truly special.
The Dodgers star’s homer gave them a 2-1 lead and a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead on Tuesday. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, will be looking to get back in the win column and ensure the series returns to Canada for Game 6.
Ohtani Had a Game for the Ages
Lost amid Freeman’s tremendous hit was Shohei Ohtani’s tremendous game. The Japanese superstar went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five walks. Ohtani’s second blast in the seventh inning tied the game at five. The Blue Jays did not pitch to Ohtani after that.
Ohtani scored three of the Dodgers’ five runs on the night, capping off one of the best World Series performances of all time. The club hopes Ohtani can replicate his performance as the Dodgers look to grab a stranglehold on the series in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
Dodgers, Blue Jays Chew through Pitching Staffs
The 18-inning drama forced both managers, Dave Roberts (Dodgers) and John Schneider (Blue Jays), to chew through their pitching staffs.
The Blue Jays got a huge boost from Eric Lauer, who pitched 4.2 innings. That outing allowed Schneider to limit the number of pitchers he deployed to nine. That deployment included using his closer, Jeff Hoffman, for two innings.
As for Dave Roberts, he utilized 10 Dodgers’ arms throughout the night. In particular, Roberts used four pitchers to get one out apiece. That included Clayton Kershaw, in particular, getting just one out. It was a huge one as it bailed the Dodgers out of a bases-loaded jam in the 12th.
However, the Dodgers’ bullpen was spared by Will Klein’s four innings of work. Klein threw 72 pitches to earn the designation as the “savior” for the Dodgers in Game 3.
As the Orange County Register noted, the highest number of pitches Klein had ever thrown was 56 in a minor league game.
All told, the LA bullpen allowed one run in 13.1 innings of work. That’s an outstanding effort in a must-win game. There will be some uncertainty as to how many pitchers Dave Roberts will have available for Game 4. The expectation, nevertheless, will be that just about everyone will be available except for Klein.
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