The Dodgers' Game 3 Unsung Hero Not Named Shohei Ohtani

It's difficult to reason astatine this constituent that Shohei Ohtani isn't the top shot subordinate who's ever lived. In nan Dodgers' 6-5, 18-inning win complete nan Blue Jays successful Game 3 of nan World Series connected Monday night—and into Tuesday morning—the 31-year-old phenom went 4-for-4 from nan crockery pinch 2 location runs and 2 doubles before being walked 5 times complete nan last 11 frames.

And yet, L.A.'s leader of nan nighttime whitethorn not person been nan dual-threat star—but rather, a alleviation pitcher who wasn't moreover connected nan Dodgers' progressive playoff roster this clip past week.

With his bullpen depleted arsenic he mulled complete putting a position subordinate connected nan mound successful nan biggest crippled of their season, head Dave Roberts handed nan shot to 25-year-old Will Klein—who, successful turn, delivered 4 scoreless innings while allowing conscionable 1 hit—and striking retired five—to gain a triumph that put nan Dodgers up 2-1 successful nan World Series.

"I ne'er dreamed that thing for illustration this would happen," Klein said pursuing Monday night's marathon. "So conscionable having nan guys for illustration Kersh [Clayton Kershaw], Freddie [Freeman], Shohei [Ohtani], Mookie [Betts] for illustration each those guys like, celebrating maine for a 2nd there, was conscionable insane. I don't deliberation I could person dreamt a dream that good."

Klein has had rather nan travel to statesman his MLB career. Originally selected by nan Kansas City Royals successful nan 5th information of nan 2020 MLB draft, nan right-hander was traded to nan A's successful June of '24 earlier being designated for duty this past January. He was past dealt to nan Mariners and DFA'd again successful May earlier being sent to nan Dodgers—splitting clip betwixt L.A. and Triple-A Oklahoma City passim nan season—and yet delivering nan capacity of his life connected baseball's biggest stage.

Prior to Game 3, Klein's career-high for pitches thrown successful an outing was 36. He doubled that, hurling 72, connected Monday night.

"You don't ever scheme connected playing 18 innings, and you conscionable benignant of inquire much from nan player," said Roberts aft nan win. "He delivered ... Certainly pinch nan adrenaline connected this stage, what he did was incredible."

"I don't cognize really I kept going," Klein admitted to Fox's Ken Rosenthal. "But I conscionable knew each inning I went retired there, it was gonna beryllium different zero. If I had to support going out, location were gonna beryllium much zeroes put up. Everyone worked their a-- disconnected to get here, and I wasn't gonna beryllium nan 1 that put that to waste."

And that he didn't. L.A. won it successful nan bottommost of nan 18th acknowledgment to a Freddie Freeman walk-off location run, Klein etched his sanction successful Dodger lore, and nan boys successful bluish are now 2 wins distant from a 2nd consecutive World Series title.

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