1 of 5 | Los Angeles Dodgers players celebrate with Freddie Freeman (C) after he hit a walk-off home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 13th inning of Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Shohei Ohtani reached base a record nine times, and Freddie Freeman clobbered a walk-off homer in the 18th inning to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in Game 3 of the World Series, tying the record for the longest game in World Series history.
“My swings were getting better and better as the game was going on,” Freeman said on the Fox broadcast. “I was just glad to get the opportunity again.”
With their 6-5 triumph at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The 6-hour, 39-minute matchup featured 19 pitchers throwing more than 600 pitches, 130 at-bats and 37 runners left on base.
Ohtani uncoiled like a vicious viper, sinking his teeth into multiple fastballs to inject venom into Game 3. The three-time MVP went 4 for 4 with five walks, two home runs, two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored.
With the performance, he became just the second player in history with four extra-base hits in a World Series game, joining Frank Isbell of the Chicago White Sox, who did so in 1906. He also became the first player to reach base at least seven times in any postseason game. His nine times on base tied for the most in any MLB game.
“What matters the most is that we won,” said Ohtani, who is set to pitch for the Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday in Los Angeles. “What I accomplished today is in the context of this game.
“What matters the most is that we flip the page and play the next game.”
Freeman, the first player in World Series history with multiple walk-off home runs, went 2 for 7 with two RBIs and two walks. Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernandez went 5 for 8 with a home run in the victory.
Hernandez drew first blood with a 412-foot solo shot off Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer in the bottom of the second inning. Ohtani ripped a 389-foot homer to right in the next inning for a 2-0 Dodgers lead.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk drilled a 394-foot, three-run homer off Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow in the next half-inning for the Blue Jays’ first lead of the night. The Blue Jays scored their fourth run on a sacrifice fly from shortstop Andres Gimenez three at-bats later.
Ohtani helped the Dodgers cut into the deficit with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth. Freeman tied the score with an RBI single two at-bats later.
Blue Jays second baseman Bo Bichette plated first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a line drive single to right in the top of the seventh for a 5-4 edge.
But Ohtani responded with a first-pitch, 401-foot solo shot to left in the bottom of the inning, tying the score once again. Neither team scored over the next five innings, despite numerous threats.
The Blue Jays and Dodgers often packed the base paths and swatted moonshots to the warning track, but couldn’t cross the plate during a scoring drought of about four hours. Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman also made several stellar defensive plays to prevent the Blue Jays from snatching momentum.
Freeman came to the plate for the game’s final at-bat to lead off the bottom of the 18th. He fouled off relief pitcher Brendon Little’s first offering. Little then missed the strike zone with his next three pitches, but then threw a called strike.
Freeman finally ended the marathon when he made contact with Little’s final heave, a 92.4-mph slider, sending that offering to dead center field for his 406-foot walk-off bomb.
Kirk, Guerrero Jr., Bichette, right fielder Addison Barger and center fielder Daulton Varsho recorded two hits apiece in the loss. Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer, who went 0 for 3, left the game in the seventh inning due to injury.
Scherzer allowed five hits and three runs over 4 1/3 innings. Glasnow surrendered five hits and four runs, including two earned, over 4 2/3 innings.
First pitch for Game 4 is set for 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday on Fox. The Blue Jays are expected to start right-handed pitcher Shane Bieber to oppose the Dodgers’ Ohtani.
