LOS ANGELES — It wasn’t a grand slam this time, but it was just as cinematic. Freddie Freeman crushed a walk-off homer off lefty Brendon Little in the bottom of the 18th, lifting the Dodgers past the Blue Jays, 6–5, in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. The six-hour, 39-minute epic ties the 2018 Game 3 in L.A. as the longest game in Fall Classic history and puts Los Angeles up 2–1 in the series. Freeman became the first ever player to have multiple walk off homeruns in the World Series. Last year he hit a walk off grand slam against the New York Yankees in Game 1.
Ohtani’s historic night at the plate
On the eve of his Game 4 start, Shohei Ohtani authored a box-score fever dream:
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Reached base nine times (postseason first; only fourth time ever in any MLB game)
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Four extra-base hits (joins Frank Isbell, 1906 WS)
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Four intentional walks (postseason first)
Chaos on the basepaths
Game 3 doubled as a baserunning clinic by the defense. Six runners were thrown out, including two at the plate:
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Addison Barger cut down Freeman with a dart from right in the 2nd.
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In the 10th, a perfect Hernández → Edman → Smith relay nailed Davis Schneider trying to score.
There was also a heads-up oddity: with Daulton Varsho at the dish, home-plate umpire Mark Wegner’s delayed strike call on 3–1 fooled Bo Bichette, who assumed ball four and wandered toward second. Tyler Glasnow calmly picked him off first.
Why Game 3 mattered
History favors the team that seizes the swing game: when a best-of-seven is tied 1–1, the Game 3 winner has taken the series 70 of 101 times (69.3%). In the current 2-3-2 format, home teams up 2–1 after Game 3 have closed it out 29 of 48 times (60.4%).
The Dodgers hand the ball to Ohtani for Game 4 as they look to press the advantage at Chavez Ravine. Toronto will try to reset after a grueling, gut-punch of a loss in a game that had everything defense, drama, and another Freddie Freeman finish.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
