The Dodgers' first baseman belted a first-pitch home run in the bottom of the 18th inning to deliver a six-to-five victory for the Los Angeles squad against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third matchup of the Fall Classic on Monday night, propelling the Dodgers to a two-games-to-one advantage in the seven-game series.
Record-Tying Duration and Memorable Performances
The 6-hour, 39-minute battle at Dodger Stadium matched the lengthiest Fall Classic contest ever played by innings and ended only after both teams exhausted double-digit hurlers, cleared their dugouts, and watched multiple potential game-winning hits land just shy at the outfield fence.
It also came on a night when the two-way superstar delivered one of the most remarkable playoff showings in baseball history.
Ohtani's Historic Performance
Ohtani reached base nine times – making him the initial athlete to do so in any Major League Baseball matchup since the 1940s – with a pair of homers, two doubles, and five free passes, four of them deliberate. He emerged as the initial batter in postseason records with four hits for extra bases in a World Series contest and the pioneer to be given that many intentional walks.
"What matters most is that we won," Ohtani said. "We flip the page and prepare for the next one."
Game Summary
Los Angeles required each effort he offered. The Dodgers sprinted to a two-run advantage in the initial innings: Teoscar Hernández homered in the second, and their superstar responded with a massive drive inside the foul pole in the third inning.
The Blue Jays ripped that away in the fourth inning. A fielding error prolonged the inning, and a Toronto batter crushed a hanging curveball over the outfield stands for a three-run homer. The visitors added a sac fly for a four-to-two lead, their bats waking up after going cold in the previous matchup.
The Dodgers spent the ensuing frames responding to each Blue Jays rally. In the fifth, the designated hitter smashed a offering into the outfield gap for an RBI double – his initial opposite-field extra-base hit in over thirty days – and the veteran first baseman followed with a sharp base hit to even the score 4–4.
Late-Inning Tension
The innings that followed, repeatedly, preserved tension as much as they avoided a conclusion. The actions on the bases alone bordered on the surreal: six baserunners thrown out in all, with a Toronto defender throwing out a runner at third in the ninth inning and another at the plate in the 10th on a flawless throw from the outfielder.
There was even a bizarre pickoff in the sixth when Bo Bichette strayed toward second after confusing the umpire’s late call for a base on balls, only to be snapped out at first.
Seesaw Action
The seesaw tilted once more in the seventh when the Toronto slugger raced home from first base on a carom off the outfield wall in the right side of the outfield, giving Toronto a 5–4 edge. That stood for all of one Ohtani plate appearance. He belted a centered pitch over 400 feet to the outfield to even the game for the third occasion.
Then came the long freeze.
The Blue Jays declined to let Ohtani beat them again, intentionally walking him in the ninth, eleventh, 13th, and 15th frames. In one of those frames, the Blue Jays intentionally passed both Ohtani and Mookie Betts to load the bases and still got out of the jam.
Bullpen Endurance and Strategy
The Toronto manager’s approach succeeded because the Blue Jays relievers kept finding exits, even as the club resorted to last-resort pitchers. George Springer exited injured in the seventh, leading to a series of substitute batters.
The Dodgers responded with bullpen endurance of their as well. They used ten hurlers, a World Series all-time high for a single contest. Clayton Kershaw entered in the 12th with the bases full and got a groundout to end a serious scoring chance. Rookie right-hander a young arm delivered four scoreless innings, the outing Freeman would later turn into a win.
Another reliever and others followed, matching zeroes as the time passed slowly. Each throw could have ended the game. Every pitch appeared not to.
Decisive Moments
Freeman nearly ended it in the thirteenth inning, but his long drive fell just short of the fence. Once more in the 15th, the fans stood up as a long fly sailed toward center field, only to slump back into their places once the catch was made. As the evening approached a seventh inning of extras, Dodger fans looked almost stunned by how stubborn the game had become.
At last, the leadoff hitter in the 18th came to the plate. The first baseman worked a three-and-two count against left-hander Brendon Little, then saw a sinker that stayed up. He hammered it over 400 feet to dead center field and dropped his bat.
The Los Angeles players poured from the bench. Ohtani ran in from the waiting area, pointing toward his teammate. The game had ended. It took all night. It felt like a week.
Next Steps
Los Angeles will rise fatigued but two wins from the title. Ohtani will take the ball again, this time not to save the team but to push them nearer to a historic achievement.
