After 18 innings, 19 pitchers, 609 pitches and some of the wildest plays in World Series history, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 2-1 lead in the 2025 Fall Classic.
An extra-inning epic that lasted 6 hours and 39 minutes ended, finally, on a walk-off solo homer from Freddie Freeman that gave Los Angeles a 6-5 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was the second World Series walk-off of Freeman’s career. The first was a grand slam last year.
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This one was bigger, at the expense of Blue Jays reliever Brendon Little.
“I was just trying to get on base against a tough lefty, sinker baller with a hard curveball, just trying to get on, but got to a 3-2 count and was able to put a good swing on it,” Freeman said after the game. “My swings were getting better as the game was going on. I thought I had a couple hits in — I don’t know — 21 innings ago.”
Game 4 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
[Get more L.A. news: Dodgers team feed]
Monday’s game tied another World Series Game 3 involving the Dodgers (2018) for the longest in Fall Classic history at 18 innings. The Dodgers were down 2-0 entering that game, so you could argue this one was even more pivotal.
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“It’s one of the greatest World Series games of all time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “Emotional. I’m spent emotionally. We got a ball game later tonight, which is crazy.”
All in all, the game was an echo of two of the greatest games in Dodgers history: Game 1 of the 2024 World Series and Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. They intertwined in a way that made the night its own story, one that will be on highlight reels for years to come.
Shohei Ohtani reached base 9 times in this game
Along the way, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in postseason history to reach base six times. And then he reached base a seventh time and an eighth time, via intentional walks that were understandable but unpopular with the Dodger Stadium crowd. He got a real plate appearance in the 17th inning, only for Little to throw him four straight balls for his ninth time on base. Only one of those pitches was within a foot of the zone.
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Ohtani’s full sequence in Game 3:
He will pitch one day later, in Game 4 against Shane Bieber. Meanwhile, Blue Jays manager John Schneider hinted after the game that the Barry Bonds-esque treatment could continue past Game 3.
“I get it,” Roberts said. “He’s the best player on the planet, and he was on the heels of a huge offensive night, and John smelled that and wasn’t going to let Shohei beat him at all, obviously, and even when nobody’s on base and putting him on to make the other guys beat him. Respect it.
“Fortunately, we have other guys behind Shohei that can still do some things, and yeah, I mean, a hard-fought game.”
Both teams ran their bullpens to the limit as extras dragged on. The Blue Jays got 4 2/3 innings out of Eric Lauer, more than they got from starting pitcher Max Scherzer, while the Dodgers drew four scoreless innings out of rookie Will Klein, the last guy in their bullpen.
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Before Tuesday, the most pitches Klein had thrown, at any professional level, was 45. He threw 72 in Game 3 and was still hitting 98 mph against his last batter. This is a pitcher who was designated for assignment by the Athletics during the offseason, designated for assignment by the Mariners in May and finally landed with the Dodgers as duct tape for a bullpen ravaged by injuries and ineffectiveness.
[Get more Toronto news: Blue Jays team feed]
“I started to feel it,” Klein said. “There were times when you’re starting to feel down, and you feel your legs aren’t there or your arm’s not there, and you just got to be like, well, ‘Who else is going to come save me?’ So I had to dig deep, do it myself. And hearing our guys in the dugout and the fans kind of come behind, especially with Will calling that last curveball, I was like, ‘All right, cool, let’s do it.'”
Klein was stretched so far that Yoshinobu Yamamoto started warming up for the Dodgers — two days after he threw a 105-pitch complete game.
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“He would have gone as long as we needed,” Roberts said. “He would have been the last guy.”
The Blue Jays were in no better shape, with Schneider telling reporters after the game that he would have gone to Bieber, his Game 4 starter, after Little.
What ensued before the extra innings was the first true back-and-forth game of this series, and it’s hard to imagine a better one is waiting down the line. The Dodgers opened the scoring with a homer from Teoscar Hernández, then added another run on Ohtani’s first homer. The Blue Jays responded with a three-run homer from Alejandro Kirk and tacked on another in the fourth.
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Ohtani and Freeman tied the game with a fifth-inning rally. In the seventh, Toronto responded again with an all-time hustle play from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who scored from first base on a Bo Bichette single and barely beat an iffy throw home.
Then, Ohtani again. The superstar blasted his fifth homer and seventh extra-base hit of his past two games at Dodger Stadium to tie the game.
After the Blue Jays’ gleeful stomping in Game 1 and Yamamoto’s masterpiece in Game 2, Game 3 was finally the kind of game people watch the World Series for. Neither starting pitcher — Tyler Glasnow or Scherzer — lasted longer than five innings, forcing two shaky bullpens to take over against two dangerous lineups. There were errors and also some amazing defensive plays. Both relief units got it done in a way no one expected.
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The ninth inning kept that going. Daulton Varsho hit a line drive that bounced off the glove of Freeman at first base, which should have put runners on the corners with one out, except Tommy Edman redeemed a fourth-inning error with the play of the game.
In the bottom of the frame, the Blue Jays saw sense and intentionally walked Ohtani for the first of four times. They then got him out for the first time by throwing him out as he tried to steal second. He managed to reach the base before the tag but fell off the bag for an inning-killing out. That sent the game to extras, but it still wasn’t his most costly slide in a World Series.
As the game hit marathon status, it came down to Clayton Kershaw.
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Another wonky play, in which Tyler Heineman beat the ball to third base, set up a bases-loaded showdown between the 37-year-old southpaw and Nathan Lukes. It’s no hyperbole to say it wasn’t the biggest batter faced in Kershaw’s career, which has seen so many postseason lowlights.
Lukes worked the count full before grounding out to second base. It might have been the final pitch of Kershaw’s career. If it is, he’ll be able to say he went out on top.
The next bases-loaded escape was courtesy of the Blue Jays in the 13th inning. The Dodgers were on the verge of ending it when Edman hit a leadoff double, and then, well, Dave Roberts started managing. Against left-handed reliever Eric Lauer, Roberts pulled Kiké Hernández for Miguel Rojas for the sole purpose of laying down a bunt.
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Rojas was successful, but he gave Lauer his first out. Roberts then pinch-hit Alex Call for the struggling Andy Pages, which led to a pop-out. The Blue Jays intentionally walked both Ohtani and Mookie Betts to tempt fate with a bases-loaded showdown with Freeman. Freeman crushed the ball — but not enough. A 379-foot fly died in front of the warning track, sending the game to the 14th.
Five innings later, Freeman provided the final flourish in a game that will go down in Dodgers lore.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are left to pick up the pieces after a game in which they used every reliever, with star designated hitter George Springer — persona non grata at Dodger Stadium due to his involvement in the Houston Astros cheating scheme — exiting the game due to right side discomfort after tweaking something on a swing in the seventh inning. He received an MRI later in the night, which will determine if he’s ready for Game 4.
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Blue Jays vs. Dodgers Game 3 live updates
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Jack Baer
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Jack Baer
The Dodgers lead 2-1 in the 2025 World Series after Freddie Freeman hits his second walk-off homer in the Fall Classic. The first was a grand slam last year. This one was bigger.
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Jack Baer
FREDDIE FREEMAN WALK-OFF HOMER
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Jack Baer
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Jack Baer
Whatever happens from here on out, Will Klein just made his mark in World Series history. As did Eric Lauer before him. Two shaky bullpens in this series, and both have dominated so much in this game that we’re heading to the bottom of the 18th inning.
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Jack Baer
His 70th pitch was 98.1 mph.
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Heineman strikes out, and that’s a fourth scoreless frame for Klein.
To the Dodgers’ half of the 18th inning we go.
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Wild pitch from Klein means both runners advance.
Runners on second and third with two outs.
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Varsho draws a walk. That makes it two on, two out for Tyler Heineman.
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IKF grounds into what looks like an inning-ending double play. He was called safe, but the crew chief is reviewing.
Call on the field stands, so it’s two outs with a runner on first and Varsho up to bat.
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Yamamoto — yes, the same Yoshinobu Yamamoto who threw 105 pitches in a complete game two days ago — is warming in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
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Will Klein is still pitching for L.A. in the 18th inning. Lukes lined out leading off.
Now Vlad Jr. is up to bat. He draws a walk.
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Both teams last scored in the seventh inning. The bullpens have collectively thrown 20 scoreless frames since then.
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Annnnnnd Ohtani draws a four-pitch walk anyway.
He’s 4-for-4 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles and 5 walks (4 intentional) tonight.
Betts is up with two on and two out in the bottom of the 17th. He flies out to end the inning.
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It appears the Blue Jays are going to pitch to Ohtani this time.
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Miguel Rojas grounds out, and now it’s up to Alex Call, who hits a single to give the Dodgers a baserunner with two outs.
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Brendon Little is now pitching for Toronto. He strikes out Edman for out No. 1.
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Clement flies out. Gimenez strikes out. Schneider lines out back to the pitcher.
And Will Klein is through his third scoreless inning for L.A.
Dodgers bats are up again. Trying to end this before their manager goes to a position player to pitch.
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Muncy strikes. Teoscar flies out. And we are going to the 17th inning.
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Is there a chance he means Ohtani? The only Dodgers arms left in the bullpen are Snell and Yamamoto.
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Lauer is still on the mound for his fifth inning for Toronto.
Will Smith is up first for L.A. He strikes out.
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