Eight Times The 18-inning World Series Game 3 Almost Ended

O.K. everybody—exhale.

The longest crippled successful World Series history is yet complete (we double-checked, conscionable to beryllium sure).

After 18 long, grueling, tension-filled innings, nan Dodgers scraped and clawed their measurement to a 6–5 triumph complete nan Blue Jays to return a 2–1 lead successful nan series, pinch first baseman Freddie Freeman delivering nan decisive rustle pinch a walk-off location run.

Freeman, past year’s World Series MVP acknowledgment successful portion to his historic walk-off expansive slam successful Game 1, erstwhile again played leader successful a crippled cipher who saw it will hide anytime soon.

“To person this hap again a twelvemonth later, to deed different walk-off, it’s benignant of astonishing and crazy,” Freeman said afterwards. “I’m conscionable gladsome we won.”

Monday’s Game 3 tied nan mark group by nan Dodgers and Red Sox successful Game 3 of nan 2018 World Series, which Los Angeles besides won connected a walk-off homer. 

But agelong earlier that conclusion, location were what felt for illustration dozens of near-misses, almost-walk-offs and botched opportunities. The 2 teams mixed to time off 37 runners connected base. They went 4-for-26 pinch runners successful scoring position. And location were six runners thrown retired connected nan guidelines paths.

Just accounting for nan 9 other innings, 1 squad astir took nan lead successful astatine slightest half a twelve different ways. Here are each nan moments that almost provided an “early” ending to an unforgettable Game 3.

On a nighttime marked by questionable guidelines running, nan Dodgers sewage other innings disconnected to an due commencement by executing a textbook relay from correct section to home. Teoscar Hernández made a cleanable provender to Tommy Edman, who threw to Will Smith successful plentifulness of clip to nab Schneider.

Smith really sewage nan tag down good earlier Schneider arrived astatine home, but was capable to stitchery himself and use nan tag earlier Schneider sewage his manus in.

Top of nan 12th: Blue Jays time off ‘em loaded

Toronto threatened to return power successful nan 12th without ever getting nan shot retired of nan infield. Alejandro Kirk walked to lead things off, followed by a grounded sacrifice bunt effort by Myles Straw. Kirk precocious to 2nd connected a groundout by Ernie Clement, past Andrés Giménez was intentionally walked to nonstop Schneider to nan plate. Schneider past deed a slow roller to Muncy, who opted to effort for a unit retired astatine third, but nan shot arrived excessively late.

That prompted Dodgers head Dave Roberts to bring successful Clayton Kershaw retired of nan bullpen, who, aft moving nan count full, sewage Nathan Lukes to crushed retired to extremity nan threat.

For Kershaw, who’s retiring astatine nan extremity of this series, it was nan first clip successful his profession he’d ever sounded successful other innings.

Before we get to Freeman, first, let america to group nan stage. Edman led nan inning disconnected pinch a double, past precocious to 3rd connected a sacrifice bunt. That drew nan Blue Jays’ infield successful and near Alex Call pinch an opportunity to extremity nan crippled pinch a sacrifice fly. Instead, he popped up to shortstop.

As Toronto did 4 times connected Monday, nan squad opted to intentionally locomotion Shohei Ohtani, past did nan aforesaid to Mookie Betts to load nan bases for Freeman. Freeman, who deed nan first walk-off expansive slam successful World Series history successful Game 1 of past year’s Fall Classic, astir gave those astatine Dodger Stadium different one, driving a shot retired to nan informing way successful halfway section a fewer feet short of nan wall.

“I was conscionable really trying to deed a azygous there,” Freeman said of nan at-bat. “Get a guidelines deed and move on, get this crippled complete pinch 3 hours ago.”

Instead, nan crippled pressed on. According to Statcast, nan shot had a 103.9 mph exit velocity and a .600 expected batting average. Instead of history, it was simply a large out.

Bottom of nan 14th: Will Smith comes this close

If Freeman’s alert retired sewage group connected their feet, Smith’s made them autumn retired of their chairs.

I mean, conscionable look astatine this bat drop.

Statcast’s communicative of nan tape: a 101.5 mph exit velocity and a region of 383 feet. It would person been a location tally successful precisely 1 MLB ballpark (Wrigley Field). 

This 1 mightiness not person been each that close, but it surely sewage nan fans disconnected their feet successful a hurry.

Had that shot been fair, it would person been a fitting extremity fixed Muncy’s domiciled successful nan longest World Series crippled of each time. That was Game 3 of nan 2018 Fall Classic, erstwhile nan Dodgers hit nan Red Sox, 3–2, successful 18 innings acknowledgment to Muncy’s walk-off blast.

Bottom of nan 16th: Teoscar Hernández astir strikes again

By nan 16th inning, nan charm of a never-ending shot crippled seemed to person worn off. There were acold much visible quiet seats than anyone would person expected successful a World Series game, a merchandise of it being astir midnight and nan thought of escaping nan Dodger Stadium parking batch surely looming ample successful nan minds of thousands of fans.

Hernández, who opened nan scoring successful this crippled pinch a solo homer successful nan 2nd inning what felt for illustration 12 days ago, almost brought things to an charismatic extremity pinch an other section changeable that, extremity maine if you’ve heard this before, died astatine nan informing track.

The fans who’d near early sewage much clip to scamper location to their TVs to watch nan ending. The fans still successful attendance were sentenced to much baseball.

Betts, who watched Ohtani locomotion 5 times connected nan night, had a chance to telephone crippled successful nan 17th. After roping a shot conscionable foul down nan near section line, he ran nan count afloat against Brendon Little, nan past man opinionated successful nan Toronto bullpen. Instead, he popped up to first guidelines to time off nan winning tally connected 2nd base.

Top of nan 18th: Will Klein becomes Houdini

If you hadn’t heard of Klein anterior to Game 3, you’d beryllium forgiven. The 25-year-old had made conscionable 14 appearances for nan Dodgers during nan regular season, spending astir of nan twelvemonth successful nan minors. He was near disconnected Los Angeles’s roster for nan first 3 rounds of nan playoffs. And connected Monday night, he recovered himself arsenic nan Dodgers’ past bullpen limb standing.

Roberts had utilized 9 alleviation pitchers earlier going pinch Klein for nan apical of nan 15th inning. He proceeded to occurrence 4 scoreless innings, throwing 72 pitches (his erstwhile precocious this play astatine immoderate level was 45). After stepping 2 batters and allowing them to beforehand to 2nd and 3rd connected a chaotic pitch, Klein struck retired Tyler Heineman to extremity nan threat.

At that point, Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto—who threw 105 pitches successful a complete crippled Saturday—was getting warmed successful nan bullpen, sending this crippled careening dangerously adjacent to moreover much chaos. As it turned out, he would not beryllium needed.

On nan game’s 609th pitch, Freeman decided capable was enough. He parked a 3–2 sinker from Little complete nan wall successful halfway field, adding yet different historical October infinitesimal successful a Hall of Fame profession afloat of them.

Given each nan times it seemed for illustration Game 3 was definite to end, and past didn’t, location was an constituent to nan evening that felt for illustration we were being tested, aliases pranked, aliases punished, aliases possibly each 3 simultaneously. In nan end, though, we were treated to 1 of nan champion shot games of each time, each those teased endings simply laying nan groundwork for a last segment consecutive retired of a movie script.

More MLB connected Sports Illustrated