Japanese player Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, and Freddie Freeman sent the ball out of the park in the 18th inning, allowing the Los Angeles Dodgers to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in the third game of the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series.
With this victory, the Dodgers tied the record for the most innings in a single game in World Series history, a feat also achieved in the 2018 Fall Classic at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles team now leads the best-of-seven series for the MLB championship title 2-1.
Ohtani, who tied the team record with eight home runs in a single postseason, had a perfect night, going 4-for-4 with five walks, scoring three runs, and driving in three runs. Freeman, who drove in two runs, ended the duel that had lasted over six and a half hours with his home run, giving the Dodgers the lead at home.
The Angels opened the scoreboard in the second inning when Dominican Teoscar Hernández hit a home run off Max Scherzer, sending the ball over the left-field wall for the game's first run. The Dodgers continued to attack in the bottom of the third inning when Ohtani crushed a Scherzer fastball that landed in the right-field bleachers for the home team's second run.
The Blue Jays responded forcefully, scoring four runs in the fourth inning. After walks to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., second baseman Tommy Edman committed an error on a Bo Bichette hit, allowing both to remain on base. Following an out, Mexican Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run home run to put the first three Toronto runs on the scoreboard off Tyler Glasnow. The Blue Jays' fourth run in that inning came on a sacrifice fly to center field by Venezuelan Andrés Giménez.
The Dodgers tied the game in the fifth inning, combining a single by Puerto Rican Kiké Hernández (who scored on a double by Ohtani) with a hit to right field by Freeman, who then scored the fourth run for the defending champions.
The Blue Jays regained the lead (4-5) in the seventh on an RBI single by Bichette, scoring Guerrero Jr. from first base. The Dodgers' response was quick; in the bottom of the seventh, Ohtani again demonstrated the power of his bat, punishing Dominican Seranthony Domínguez to tie the game (5-5).
Both teams threatened to take the lead, but the relief pitchers held the score even until Freeman hit the game-winning home run off Brendon Little (0-1) in the 18th inning.
Glasnow could not maintain the effectiveness he had shown in his previous outings and left the game after 4.2 innings, allowing four runs and striking out five batters. The Dodgers' winner was Will Klein (1-0), who pitched four scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Scherzer left the game after 4.1 innings, allowing three runs, but the relief failed to preserve the lead and was left without a decision.
The fourth game of this matchup will be played on Tuesday at the Dodgers' stadium.
