LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers have a chance to ride another inspirational game-ending home run from Freddie Freeman to another World Series title.
Freeman ended an 18-inning marathon with a leadoff home run, Shohei Ohtani added two homers and the Dodgers pulled off a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in Game 3 of the World Series.
The defending champion Dodgers rode a game-ending grand slam from Freeman in Game 1 of last year’s World Series against the New York Yankees to a championship.
“It just felt like my swing was getting better and better and, thankfully, I was able to get one over,” Freeman said. “I don’t think we’re physically tired, I think you’re just mentally tired because you’re in it every pitch, and every pitch means something in the World Series and in the playoffs.”
Teoscar Hernandez also hit a home run, while Ohtani added two doubles and reached base a postseason-record nine times with five walks (four intentional) as the Dodgers pulled in front 2-1 in the best-of-seven series after losing Game 1 at Toronto.
The 18-inning game matched the longest in World Series history, also at Los Angeles in 2018 against the Boston Red Sox. Monday’s contest lasted 6 hours, 39 minutes, the second-longest World Series game by time.
“He’s spent,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said about Ohtani, his Game 4 starter opposite Blue Jays right-hander Shane Bieber. “He was on base eight, nine times tonight, running the bases. He’s elated. But, yeah, he’s taking the mound tomorrow. He’ll be ready.”
In the 18th, Freeman’s leadoff home run to center came on a 3-2 sinker off left-hander Brendon Little (0-2) and made a winner of Los Angeles right-hander Will Klein (1-0), who gave up one hit with five strikeouts over four scoreless innings.
Ohtani hit home runs in the third and seventh innings and has five home runs over his last two home playoff games. Seldom-used right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Klein combined to pitch six scoreless innings as Los Angeles used a World Series-record 10 pitchers, including left-hander Clayton Kershaw for one out to escape a bases-loaded jam in the 12th.
Alejandro Kirk hit a home run for the Blue Jays, who have lost consecutive games after scoring 11 runs in their Game 1 victory at home. Toronto used nine pitchers, with left-hander Eric Lauer pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief.
“The way everybody fought, that’s what you’re so proud of,” said Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer, who started and gave up three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. “Yeah, we came out on the wrong side of this and it stings and it burns. You want to win that game but so proud of everybody’s effort. Everybody believed in each other.”
The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second on Hernandez’s home run, his fifth of the postseason. Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead with a home run down the right field line in the third.
The Blue Jays took the lead with a four-run fourth that included a three-run home run from Kirk and a sacrifice fly from Andres Gimenez for a 4-2 advantage.
The Dodgers got even at 4-4 in the fifth on a one-out RBI double from Ohtani and a two-out RBI single just inside of first base by Freeman.
After Toronto’s George Springer departed with right side discomfort to lead off the seventh, the Blue Jays pushed ahead 5-4 in the inning on a two-out single from Guerrero off right-hander Blake Treinen and an RBI single from Bichette to score Guerrero from first base.
Ohtani’s fifth home run in his last two playoff games at Los Angeles, this one off right-hander Seranthony Dominguez, tied the score 5-5 in the seventh. It was Ohtani’s eighth of the postseason and third of the World Series.
After hitting two home runs with two doubles in his first four at-bats, Ohtani walked in his last five trips to the plate.
“Man, they have a really talented lineup,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who hinted that more walks to Ohtani are forthcoming. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to just walk him and face Mookie (Betts) and Freddie. So every situation is different. You got to really execute at a high level against him.”
Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefa trying to advance to third base in the ninth and threw Davis Schneider out at home to end the top of the 10th on a relay from Hernandez in right field.
“It’s one of the greatest World Series games of all time,” Roberts said. “Emotional. I’m spent emotionally. We got a ballgame later tonight, which is crazy.”
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
