Freddie Freeman delivers in extra innings to help the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays 6-5 in Game 3
Los Angeles Dodgers #5 Freddie Freeman (1B) walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighteenth inning, is the only player in the World Series History to have two walk-off home runs. Photo by TGSportstv1.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Words cannot describe what happened at Dodger Stadium as Freddie Freeman delivered a walk-off home run in extra innings in the bottom of the eighteenth inning over the center field wall to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) over the Toronto Blue Jays (1-2), 6-5 in Game 3 of the World Series.
It was the second walk-off homer for Freeman to become the first player ever to do that in World Series History. Freeman wouldn’t have had the chance to make history if not for Will Klein, who replaced Alex Vesia on the roster for personal reasons and pitched 4.0 innings to slam the door on the Blue Jays in the top of the eighteenth inning with players in scoring position.
"There were times when you're starting to feel down and you feel your legs aren't there or your arm's not there, and you just got to be like, well, who else is going to come save me?" Klein said. "So I had to dig deep, do it myself."
Shohei Ohtani on the night went 4 for 4 with two home runs, 3 RBIs, one run, and got on base nine times.
“It's one of the greatest World Series games of all time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said matter-of-factly.
Tyler Glasnow, the starting pitcher for the Dodgers, pitched 4.2 innings while giving up 5 hits, four runs, one home run, and had five strikeouts.
Max Scherzer, the starting pitcher for the Blue Jays, lasted about the same amount of innings, pitching 4.1 innings, and gave up 5 hits, 3 runs, two home runs, and had five strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers #37 Teoscar Hernandez (RF) solo home run in the bottom of the second inning. Photo by TGSportstv1.
The Dodgers would jump out and take a 2-0 lead when Teoscar Hernandez hit a solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the second inning, and Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning.
The Blue Jays would take the lead 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning with a three-run home run by Alejandro Kirk over the center field wall, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette both scored.
Toronto would add another run still at the top of the fourth inning to lead 4-2 after Andres Gimenez hit a sacrifice fly ball to center field, and Addison Barger scored.
Los Angeles would trail 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Ohtani hit a double into left field, and Enrique Hernandez scored.
Moments later, Freeman would hit a line drive single to right field, and Ohtani came home to tie the game 4-4 to end the inning.
The Blue Jays regained the lead in the top of the seventh inning 5-4 after Bichette singled to right field and Guerrero Jr. came home to score.
Los Angeles Dodgers #17 Shohei Ohtani (DH) tied the game 5-5 with his solo home run over the left-center field wll. Photo by TGSportstv1.
Ohtani would tie the game 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning with a monster home run over the left-center field wall that had the Dodgers’ fans standing on their feet.
The moment of truth came for the Dodgers in the bottom of the eighteenth inning when Freeman came to the plate, and Freeman smacked a walk-off home run over the center field wall off Toronto’s relief pitcher Brendon Little.
It was a prize fight for both teams, who used everything and everyone to try to score a run. The Dodgers, with ten pitchers on the mound for the game, including Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw in the 12th inning, set a World Series record. Both teams left men in scoring position on base due to great relief pitching on both sides.
“It took every single guy tonight,” Freeman said. “I think that just shows you who we are as a group.”
For Game 4 of the World Series, the starting pitchers will be Shane Bieber (RHP, 1-0) for Toronto and Shohei Ohtani (RHP, 2-0) for Los Angeles.