Another World Series Epic in Los Angeles
Eighteen innings. Nineteen pitchers. Six hundred and nine pitches. And one unforgettable swing. Freddie Freeman ended one of the longest and wildest games in World Series history Monday night, blasting a walk-off home run in the 18th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6–5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays and a 2–1 series lead.
Freeman’s deep shot to center field — his second consecutive World Series walk-off in as many years — sent Dodger Stadium into delirium and capped a marathon that lasted more than six and a half hours. “To have it happen again a year later, it’s kind of amazing,” Freeman said afterward. “I’m just glad we won.”
Pitcher Will Klein, the unlikeliest hero of the night, threw four scoreless innings in relief to hold the Blue Jays at bay before Freeman’s decisive swing. As the ball cleared the wall, the 25-year-old rookie sprinted toward home plate to join the celebration, only to be tackled by a swarm of teammates.
“This is one of the greatest World Series games of all time,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I’m spent emotionally.”
A Battle of Endurance and Emotion
This Game 3 instantly drew comparisons to the 2018 World Series classic in which the Dodgers won another 18-inning thriller. Both teams combined for 10 runs early before the bullpens locked down the late innings. Shohei Ohtani tied the game in the seventh with his second home run of the night and reached base nine times overall — a postseason record.
Toronto repeatedly walked Ohtani, intentionally or otherwise, four times after the seventh inning. “He’s arguably the best player on the planet,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Sometimes you just pick your poison.”
Ohtani’s performance was historic. According to ESPN Research, he became the first player since 1900 to record four extra-base hits and five walks in a single game and the first in postseason history with three multi-homer games in one playoff run.
Clayton Kershaw, pitching in relief, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 12th inning, drawing a standing ovation from the home crowd. Defensive brilliance kept the game alive on both sides — from Addison Barger throwing out Freeman at the plate to Teoscar Hernández’s relay that cut down a run in the 10th.
Klein’s Unexpected Heroics
The Dodgers’ bullpen was stretched beyond its limit. By the 15th inning, Klein was the last man standing. Known for his velocity but not his control, he delivered the outing of his life — 72 pitches, four shutout innings, and nine key outs that changed the course of the series.
“I just looked around and realized I was the only one left,” Klein said. “I was going to go until I couldn’t.”
He held Toronto scoreless from the 15th through the 17th, and though fatigue set in, he refused to leave. “Who else was going to come save me?” he joked. His resilience drew praise from teammates and fans alike. “He might be the MVP of this game,” said shortstop Mookie Betts.
Freeman Finishes the Fight
When Freeman stepped up in the bottom of the 18th, the Dodgers had stranded 18 runners. The count ran full, and Blue Jays reliever Will Klein fired a sinker that caught too much of the plate. Freeman’s bat met it perfectly, sending it soaring to center field and into the history books.
Freeman’s home run wasn’t just another walk-off — it was a moment of release. After 399 minutes of tense baseball, the Dodgers found liberation in one swing.
As Freeman rounded the bases, fans chanted his name. Ohtani hugged starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had volunteered to pitch if the game continued. Roberts called it a win that defined resilience.
Ohtani, set to start Game 4, summed up the night’s exhaustion and anticipation with a rare, simple response when asked how he’d prepare: “Rest.”