Quick Snapshot
Los Angeles escaped a baseball odyssey: Game 3 lasted 18 innings and ended with Freddie Freeman launching a walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 6–5 win and a 2–1 series advantage. It was the kind of game you tell your grandkids about — if your grandkids enjoy being kept awake for eight hours.
Shohei Ohtani: The Human On-Base Machine
If you needed proof Ohtani does not sleep, he reached base in all nine of his trips to the plate — a postseason record and a tie to a big-league mark. He slugged multiple homers and doubles, drew a pile of intentional walks, drove in runs, and generally made pitchers rethink life choices. In short: he was everywhere and could probably pitch, hit, field and then start a podcast about it.
The Marathon: How the Game Drifted into the Twilight Zone
The contest opened like a normal baseball game and slowly evolved into an endurance test. Early fireworks came from both benches: homers, clutch hits, defensive throws that looked like they had their own highlight reels. The lead swapped hands multiple times, and after the usual nine innings the scoreboard still read tied.
Extra innings turned into a test of bullpen depth and willpower. Both teams cycled through arms and nerve-stretching moments: near-misses at the wall, perfect relays that robbed runs, and more intentional walks than an etiquette class.
Freddie Freeman’s Hero Moment
After the game had offered everything but a marching band, Freeman ended it with a drive to deep center — barely clearing the glove and the warning track. The ball traveled about 406 feet and sent the Dodger faithful into a joyful stampede. Freeman’s walk-off was vintage postseason drama: loud, sudden, and impossible to argue with.
Notable Plays and Oddities
– Teoscar Hernández and other Blue Jays made some heads-up plays and perfect throws to keep runs off the board at critical times. Several plays looked like they were drawn up by coaches in a fever dream about perfect defense.
– Clayton Kershaw, longtime Dodger legend, was summoned from the bullpen and made his first-ever extra-inning appearance in a Hall of Fame-caliber career — a sentimental subplot in an already cinematic night. He’s scheduled to retire after the series, so fans were soaking in one more classic moment.
– Both teams leaned heavily on relievers. Pitching cards became crowded with names; managers were mixing and matching like DJs at closing time.
Key Numbers (Without the Boredom)
– Innings: 18 (tied for the longest World Series game ever)
– Final score: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 5
– Ohtani: reached base in 9 of 9 plate appearances, multiple extra-base hits, plenty of walks
– Freeman: walk-off homer to end the game, plus a clutch RBI earlier in the night
– Pitching: both clubs used a ton of arms as the night dragged on — a bullpen-heavy marathon.
What This Means and What’s Next
The Dodgers now lead the series 2–1. Game 4 is slated next, with Shohei Ohtani expected to take the mound for Los Angeles against a Toronto starter. After a night like this, everybody will be a little sleep-deprived — especially the pitching staffs.
Final Thought
An 18-inning World Series game is baseball at its most dramatic and ridiculous: heroic performances, near-misses, and a finish that felt inevitable and impossible at once. If you were at the stadium, you got your money’s worth. If you watched from home, you might want to check your caffeine allowance for the next game.
