Baseball doesn’t usually test the patience of the fans, but for some fans Monday night proved that patience can pay off in ways you never expect. When Freddie Freeman stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 18th inning at Dodger Stadium, nearly 6 hours and 39 minutes of absolute baseball drama had already unfolded.
The Dodgers and Blue Jays were locked in a 5-5 battle that seemed like it might never end, with both bullpens running on fumes and the crowd hanging on every pitch. After all that time, over 575 pitches, all those opportunities that came and went, Freeman saw something he liked on the first pitch from left-hander Brendon Little, a sinker sitting at 92.4 miles per hour, and he did what Freeman does in October — he made history.
That solo home run sailed 405 feet to straightaway center field, giving the Dodgers a 6-5 victory and tying the longest World Series game ever played. Only one other World Series contest had ever gone 18 innings, and incredibly enough, that was also a Dodgers game right here at Dodger Stadium seven years ago when Max Muncy ended it in the same fashion against the Red Sox. Now Freeman had his name etched into the same piece of October baseball lore, and he did it with stunning efficiency. After going 2-for-7 on the night with the struggles that come with an marathon like that, Freeman delivered the walk-off when it mattered most.
The thing about Freeman’s performance throughout that entire game is that it tells the whole story of what it takes to win in October. He wasn’t lighting it up statistically, which in a normal game might be something you’d forget about by the next morning. But he stayed with it. His swings kept getting better. He talked afterward about feeling like his swing was improving as the game wore on, even when nothing was falling. Freeman even nearly ended it in the 13th inning when he connected on a four-seam fastball down the middle from Eric Lauer, but that one died at the warning track and got run down by Daulton Varsho. There were other close calls too — a screamer from Will Smith in the 14th and another from Teoscar Hernández in the 16th that both fell just short. The marine layer had settled over Chavez Ravine, and the baseball gods seemed to be teasing everyone with what could have been.
But Freeman’s at-bat in the 18th was different from the moment he stepped into the box. Maybe it was because he’d seen so many pitches. Maybe it was because he knew this couldn’t go on forever. Maybe it was just Freeman being Freeman when the moment is biggest. Whatever it was, he didn’t miss. That first pitch was the only pitch he needed.
Shohei Ohtani was absolutely spectacular in this game, reaching base nine times, which set a postseason record and tied the MLB record for any game. He hit two home runs and drove in multiple runs while also being available to pitch if necessary. Will Klein, who came out of nowhere as the last arm in the Dodgers’ bullpen, threw four scoreless innings and 72 pitches — double his previous high in a professional game. It was the kind of performance where everyone contributed when they needed to, but it was Freeman who made sure all those contributions meant something.
Looking ahead at this series now, both teams have to be wondering what’s left in the tank. The Dodgers threw every reliever they had except for the position players. The Blue Jays cycled through their bullpen too, and now both teams have to turn around and play again. But this is the beauty of the World Series — it goes on regardless of how exhausted you are.
Here’s the thing, folks: Game 4 is just hours away at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers — who many fans hate right now — hold a 2-1 advantage after the series was tied, this thing looks like it could go a full seven games. Teams that win Game 3 after the first two games are split historically have a 67 percent chance to win the championship, but the Blue Jays aren’t going to roll over. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and this Toronto offense have shown they can compete with anyone, and you can’t underestimate a team that’s already come back from being down 2-0. The way this series is shaping up, with both teams having their pitching and position players absolutely taxed, a full seven games seems more likely than not at this point.
With that… Freeman summed up the moment perfectly when he told the media during the post-game, I’m just glad we won. That’s baseball in October — sometimes it’s not about fancy statistics or perfect nights at the plate. Sometimes it’s about sticking around long enough to get one more chance, and when that chance comes, you don’t miss it. Freeman didn’t miss it, and now the Dodgers need just two more wins to be the first team to win back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees went back-to-back-t0-back from 1998 thru 2000. Whether this series goes seven games or not, Monday night will be remembered forever.
If you cannot play with them, maybe rooting against them is all you can do!