Freeman’s Dramatic 18th-Inning Homer Secures Dodgers’ Thrilling 6-5 Victory Over Blue Jays in World Series Showdown!

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Game 3 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium turned into a marathon, lasting an intense 18 innings. In a thrilling conclusion, Freddie Freeman homered in the bottom of the 18th to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. With this win, the Dodgers now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“That might be one of the greatest games ever,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Freeman’s homer ended a game that lasted 6 hours and 39 minutes, matching the record for the longest postseason game by innings.

This wasn’t the first time the Dodgers faced an 18-inning game; they had a similar experience seven years ago when Max Muncy hit a walk-off homer against the Boston Red Sox.

Freeman, who hit the first-ever grand slam in World Series history last season, explained the thrill of this walk-off. “Oh gosh, just pure excitement. That’s as good as it gets.”

Will Klein, who was the last available reliever for the Dodgers, played a key role. He pitched four shutout innings, showing impressive endurance by throwing 72 pitches. “We weren’t losing that game,” Klein said. Keeping the team in the game gave him the drive to push through.

In the midst of this hard-fought game, it’s notable that a total of 19 pitchers took the mound, combining for 609 pitches. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw even pitched in extra innings for the first time in his career, highlighting the game’s intensity.

On the Blue Jays’ side, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. provided an interesting moment amidst the tension. He was seen snacking on an apple throughout the game, giving a lighthearted contrast to the high stakes. “We tried everything we could, but they came away with the victory,” Guerrero remarked.

As for the players, Shohei Ohtani had a standout night too. He hit two homers and became part of history by reaching base nine times, something not seen in the majors for 83 years. Ohtani commented on the team effort, saying, “What matters the most is we won.”

The game was a showcase of resilience and skill. It went back and forth, with both teams showing determination. Toronto initially led 4-2, but the Dodgers rallied, tying the game up in the fifth.

Looking ahead, Game 4 will feature Blue Jays’ Shane Bieber making his first World Series start. The excitement continues as the series unfolds. You can find out more about the MLB at [AP News](https://apnews.com/hub/MLB).

Source link

Tommy Edman, Max Scherzer, Los Angeles Dodgers, Freddie Freeman, Kike Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani, Brendon Little, Toronto Blue Jays, Dave Roberts, John Schneider, MLB World Series, Alejandro Kirk, Nathan Lukes, Tyler Glasnow, Max Muncy, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Will Smith, Clayton Kershaw, Baseball, General news, MLB, AP Top News, California, Sports, Davis Schneider, U.S. news, Teoscar Hernandez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, MLB baseball, Frank Isbell, Bo Bichette, Blake Treinen, Andrs Gimnez, U.S. News