The third game of the championship series provided an unprecedented spectacle in the history of baseball.
As the dust settled from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ prolonged 6-5, 18-inning triumph over the Blue Jays on Monday night (effectively Tuesday morning for Toronto), it equaled the record for the lengthiest game ever played in the championship series based on the number of innings.
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However, it did not surpass the record for the duration of a championship series game. The other 18-inning championship series game — in which the Dodgers also clinched a walk-off victory against the Boston Red Sox in 2018, also at their home stadium in Game 3 — took 7 hours and 20 minutes to complete. That game occurred before the introduction of the pitch clock.
But Monday’s Game 3 was substantially lengthy at 6:39. Several records were established during this historic baseball night. Characteristically, Shohei Ohtani was among those leaving an indelible mark on the record book.
Shohei Ohtani’s epic postseason continued Monday with another historic effort in Game 3.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Another brilliant night for Shohei Ohtani
The Dodgers’ star player initiated the game with a double. During his second turn at bat, he launched a solo home run. His third at-bat resulted in another double, this time driving in a run to narrow the Blue Jays’ advantage to 4-3. His subsequent at-bat culminated in another solo home run, equalizing the score at 5-5.
Subsequently, he didn’t encounter another pitch until the 17th inning. The Blue Jays opted to intentionally walk Ohtani for the remainder of the game whenever first base was unoccupied. His third successive intentional walk in the 13th inning distinguished him as the first player in postseason chronicles to secure seven bases in a single game.
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That distinction endured for merely two innings. In the 15th, the Blue Jays granted him another free pass for his eighth time reaching base, further extending his record. This also garnered him another record. No player in postseason history had received four intentional walks in a single game until that moment.
When Ohtani approached the plate in the 17th, first base was occupied. Pinch hitter Alex Call managed a two-out single from the ninth spot ahead of him. Subsequently, Brendon Little — Toronto’s ninth pitcher of the evening — delivered a pitch to Ohtani.
Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome remained consistent. Ohtani walked for a fifth consecutive time. According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, this made him the fourth player since 1925 to secure nine bases in an MLB game, whether during the regular season or postseason. Who was the last to achieve this feat? Chicago Cubs All-Star Stan Hack in 1942.
Upon completing his performance, Ohtani had a batting average of 4 for 4, including two home runs, three runs batted in, three runs scored, and five walks. Furthermore, he is scheduled to start on the pitcher’s mound in Tuesday’s Game 4.
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Freddie Freeman caps game with record of his own
The 6-hour and 39-minute spectacle also featured more record-breaking moments. Will Klein entered the game in the 14th inning as the Dodgers’ tenth pitcher of the evening. This marked the first instance in championship series history that a single team employed 10 pitchers in a single game.
When Little ascended the pitcher’s mound for the Blue Jays in the 17th, he became the ninth Toronto pitcher of the evening. Consequently, this signified the first occasion in championship series history that a total of 19 pitchers were utilized. However, a 20th pitcher did not make an appearance on the mound.
Speculation arose that if the game had extended into the 19th inning, the Dodgers were prepared to deploy Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had pitched a complete game victory only two nights prior. However, Freeman ensured that such a scenario would not materialize.
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The reigning World Series MVP launched a walk-off solo home run over the center field wall off Little, securing the Dodgers’ triumph and further solidifying his legacy in championship series annals.
During the previous year’s World Series victory against the Yankees, Freeman delivered a walk-off grand slam to clinch Game 1. With Monday’s explosive hit, he became the first player to achieve two walk-off home runs in championship series history.
It was truly an exceptional evening. A game for the ages.
