Within the early twilight hours of the night, when one in every of baseball’s most exceptional nights nonetheless felt comparatively regular, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts made a prediction.
“Ultimately,” Roberts stated throughout an in-game interview with the Fox tv broadcast within the fourth inning, as each beginning pitchers have been struggling by way of their outings, “it’s gonna be a battle of the bullpens tonight.”
Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off dwelling run to heart subject within the 18th inning of a 6-5 win for the Dodgers in a World Sequence Recreation 3 turned out to be a lot extra.
It was a check of psychological mettle. A problem of sudden-death composure. A battle of bodily attrition and emotional fortitude. An immediate traditional with too many twists and turns to depend.
There have been sudden shifts and loopy bounces, like when a down-the-line single from Bo Bichette within the seventh ricocheted off a sound technician alongside the elbow of the wall in foul territory, permitting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to attain from first with the assistance of an errant throw from Teoscar Hernández.
There have been huge errors and even larger swings, like when Shohei Ohtani obtained the Dodgers tied once more within the backside of the seventh by clobbering a first-pitch, down-the-middle fastball from Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Domínguez for a solo dwelling run — matching a World Sequence single-game file along with his fourth extra-base hit of the evening.
There have been game-saving defensive performs, none larger than when a Dodgers protection that had struggled earlier within the evening reduce down a runner at dwelling plate within the high of the tenth, after two completely executed throws from Hernández and Tommy Edman.
There have been heroic outings, from the early scoreless appearances the Dodgers obtained from kids Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Edgardo Henriquez, to the bases-loaded jam future Corridor of Famer Clayton Kershaw escaped within the twelfth, to the gutsy 4 innings that Will Klein offered most of all.
And, lastly, practically seven hours later, all of it culminated with Freeman’s walk-off homer, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead on this World Sequence and a win that will probably be remembered perpetually at Chavez Ravine.
How the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays within the 18th inning of Recreation 3 of the World Sequence.
Initially, Monday’s sport was one in every of momentum swings.
The Dodgers took an early lead with a giant blast — and a giant break.
Within the high of the second, Bichette was picked off after considering Daulton Varsho had walked, starting to casually stroll to second as Tyler Glasnow threw over. The Blue Jays would put two runners on later within the inning, however because of the pick-off, Glasnow was capable of strand them.
Momentum had shifted. And proper on cue, within the subsequent half-inning, the Dodgers would take benefit.
Teoscar Hernández promptly opened the scoring with a solo blast within the backside of the second, chucking his bat in celebration of his fifth lengthy ball this October. The Dodgers added on once more within the third, going up 2-0 after Ohtani (who would attain base a postseason-record 9 occasions) took Max Scherzer deep regardless of seemingly getting jammed on an inside fastball within the third.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers within the first inning of Recreation 3 of the World Sequence on Monday at Dodger Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
Alas, the Blue Jays would rapidly mount a response, storming to the lead with their very own huge blast — and their very own huge break.
With two outs within the backside of the third, Freeman was reduce down attempting to attain from second on a Will Smith single, getting simply thrown out by big-armed proper fielder Addison Barger after an over-aggressive ship from third base coach Dino Ebel.
Out of the blue, momentum had swung again within the Blue Jays’ favor. And proper on cue, within the subsequent half-inning, it was their flip to take benefit, with Alejandro Kirk clobbering a dangling first-pitch curveball from Glasnow to heart for a go-ahead three-run homer.
The Blue Jays would additionally add on from there, making it a 4-2 lead on a sacrifice fly later within the inning.
The Dodgers would reply again within the fifth, scoring twice after Ohtani hit an RBI double within the hole and scored on a single from Freeman within the subsequent at-bat.
From there, the battle of the bullpens would start.
Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a house run within the third inning for the Dodgers in Recreation 3 of the World Sequence in opposition to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
The Dodgers tied the rating within the fifth, after Scherzer left the mound with one aboard for left-hander Mason Fluharty to face Ohtani. Ohtani, nevertheless, would negate the platoon benefit by roping an opposite-field RBI double (his first opposite-field hit since Sept. 20) into the hole. Freeman additionally received his left-on-left matchup with Fluharty, singling dwelling Ohtani with a ground-ball contained in the first-base bag two batters later.
The Blue Jays went again in entrance within the seventh, on the Bichette line drive that hit the sound man, ricocheted away from the place Hernández was initially operating in proper subject, and took lengthy sufficient for him to retrieve that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may rating all the way in which from first. A very good throw most likely nonetheless would’ve obtained Guerrero, however Hernández took Smith up the first-base line.
Ohtani rapidly erased that deficit, getting a first-pitch meatball from Domínguez that he launched once more the opposite manner into the left-field seats.
Then, there wouldn’t be one other run till the 18th — thanks largely to some spectacular protection.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith tags out Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider at dwelling plate within the ninth inning of Recreation 3 of the World Sequence on Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
Again within the sixth, Guerrero made a heads-up play on an infield single from Kiké Hernández, alertly slicing the ball off early and throwing again throughout the diamond to get Teoscar Hernández, who was attempting to go from first to 3rd after operating on the pitch, with an ideal throw.
Within the eighth, Edman made an analogous play on a line drive that deflected off Freeman’s glove at first, monitoring the ball down in shallow proper earlier than turning and firing to 3rd to get Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who like Hernández was attempting to go from first to 3rd.
The largest defensive play got here within the tenth, when Teoscar Hernández and Edman turned their relay play on a Nathan Lukes double to get pinch-runner Davis Schneider on the plate as he tried to attain from first — ending the inning with Guerrero standing on deck.
Clayton Kershaw delivers within the twelfth inning for the Dodgers in Recreation 3 of the World Sequence on Monday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Occasions)
Then, there was a stomach-churning jam within the twelfth, when Kershaw inherited a bases-loaded jam from Sheehan — and the group turned nervously tense, nearly as in the event that they have been fearing the worst potential ending possible to his illustrious however postseason-haunted 18-year profession — just for him to flee by getting a floor ball from Lukes that Edman flipped along with his glove to first base.
Because the evening dragged on, Klein additionally grew to become a hero. The midseason, little-known, commerce acquisition who spent a lot of the season within the minors, hadn’t been on the workforce’s postseason roster within the earlier three rounds, and hadn’t thrown greater than 45 pitches in a sport all season.
On this evening, nevertheless, he achieved legend standing, returning to the mound inning after inning after inning after inning from the fifteenth to the 18th, throwing 4 scoreless frames on an exhausting 72 pitches.
Dodgers pitcher Will Klein delivers within the fifteenth inning in opposition to the Blue Jays in Recreation 3 of the World Sequence on Monday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
In line with the Fox broadcast, Roberts was planning to make use of a place participant previous the seventeenth inning. However after Yoshinobu Yamamoto volunteered to pitch, and went right down to the bullpen to start warming up, Roberts determined to stretch Klein for yet one more inning.
He obtained by way of it, snapping off a curveball for a strikeout that stranded runners on second and third base.
Then, moments later, Freeman lastly ended it with a walk-off homer to heart.
Freddie Freeman celebrates after hitting a walk-off dwelling run within the eighth inning to finish Recreation 3 of the World Sequence on Monday evening.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
