Dodgers outlast Blue Jays over 18 innings in instant classic to take 2-1 lead in World Series

19 pitchers and 18 innings later, we finally have a winner.

Thanks to a walk-off solo homer from Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers won 6-5 over the Blue Jays to take Game 3 of the 2025 World Series. They are now up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Freeman, who hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the Yankees, took Brendon Little deep to lead off the bottom of the 18th inning. He has a knack for this sort of thing.

What a moment. What a game!

After exhausting themselves in this 7-hour game, the two teams will have to do this all over again on Tuesday in Game 4. Shohei Ohtani will pitch for the Dodgers while Shane Bieber will try to even things up for the Blue Jays.

How’s this for intrigue? After throwing a complete game gem in Game 2 on Saturday against the Blue Jays, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is getting warm in the Dodgers’ bullpen in case he’s needed in this game.

Yamamoto has thrown complete games in each of his last two postseason starts. He threw 105 pitches in his complete game effort on Saturday. Normally this would be unthinkable, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

After the Dodgers were unable to cash in on a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 17th inning, this game is now tied for the longest-ever in World Series history, matching Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between the Red Sox and the Dodgers.

Will Klein capped off three scoreless innings of relief with this quick-reflexes catch on a comebacker from Davis Schneider. Let’s head to bottom of the 17th. 

Will Klein, who has already pitched two scoreless innings, is slated to head back out there for the top of the 17th inning. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, he plans to stick with him for a third inning of work, but beyond that he’s just not sure where to go just yet.

It sounds like we could see a position player for L.A. if it gets that far. The Blue Jays have gotten 4 2/3 scoreless frames with Eric Lauer and still have Brendon Little and potentially Game 4 starter Shane Bieber waiting in the wings.

He finds new ways to melt our brains on the regular. And tonight is no different. He just drew his fourth intentional walk of the night, which is a postseason record. He has also reached base eight times (two home runs, two doubles, four walks), which is also a postseason record. In fact, his reaching base seven times was a record, so he just broke his previous record.

By the way, we’re headed to the 16th inning.

Remember when we were saying the Dodgers’ bullpen was the team’s glaring weakness? Well, that hasn’t been the case tonight.

Will Klein worked around a two-out hit from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to finish off a scoreless top of the 15th inning. He’s the 10th pitcher of the night for the Dodgers, which sets a new World Series record. Klein is also the last reliever in the Dodgers’ bullpen, which means that he’s either pitching until there’s a resolution or possibly a starting pitcher or (gasp!) even a position player gets involved.

Of course, the Dodgers will have to hope it doesn’t come to that. Still, we haven’t seen a run scored in this game since the seventh inning.

The Dodgers were also involved in the longest game in World Series history, as they went 18 innings against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series. Max Muncy delivered a walk-off homer to give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory. Dodgers fans would be quite happy to see a repeat tonight. Or this morning. Whatever it takes.

This fly ball from Will Smith fooled just about everyone by staying in the ballpark.

The Dodgers were unable to cash in despite more chances against Eric Lauer, so the game continues. Fifteen innings, anyone?

Henriquez retired the Blue Jays in order in the top of the 14th inning, including a swinging strikeout of Andres Giménez to end the frame. The 23-year-old has retired six out of the seven batters he’s faced, with the lone hiccup coming on a hit-by-pitch.

Henriquez is the Dodgers’ ninth pitcher of the night. The Blue Jays are still on their eighth pitcher with Eric Lauer staying on.

After pulling off three excellent defensive plays through the later innings, Tommy Edman led off the bottom of the 13th with a double and was moved over to third base on a sacrifice bunt from Miguel Rojas. However, the Dodgers failed to get him home.

Alex Call appeared as a pinch hitter and failed to hit the ball out of the infield, so the Blue Jays walked Shohei Ohtani (his seventh time reaching base tonight) and Mookie Betts intentionally to load the bases. Freeman, who is no stranger to walk-off hits in the World Series, hit a drive to deep left-center field, but it just didn’t have enough distance to send the crowd home happy.

What a game. Let’s go to the 14th. This is officially the second-longest World Series game in history.

The Blue Jays were retired by hard-throwing right-hander Edgardo Henriquez with little in the way of trouble to start the 13th inning, including a 102 mph strikeout of Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Henriquez hit Daulton Varsho with two outs but managed to retire Tyler Heineman on a fly out to escape damage.

One factor of note as this game goes on: Will Klein is the only reliever remaining for Dave Roberts. Eric Lauer has the ability to pitch multiple innings for John Schneider, with Brendon Little sitting in reserve in the bullpen.

The Dodgers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 12th inning, as Braydon Fisher sat down Will Smith to begin the frame and left-hander Eric Lauer entered to retire Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy.

Game 3 is headed to the 13th at Dodger Stadium.

Nathan Lukes worked the count full against Clayton Kershaw before tapping a ground ball to second baseman Tommy Edman, who had to make a glove-flip to Freddie Freeman for the final out of the inning. Oh baby. The drama just keeps coming. We’re headed to the 13th inning in this instant classic.

How’s this for a set-up: Bases loaded, two outs in a tie game in the World Series in the top of the 12th inning. What do you do? Ask a future Hall of Famer to clean up the mess, of course. We’re about to see Clayton Kershaw come into this one.

Shohei Ohtani is officially getting the Barry Bonds treatment. With two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, the Blue Jays elected to intentionally walk Ohtani and put him on base as the winning run rather than let him swing the bat.

It sounds a bit extreme, especially with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman behind him in the lineup, but with the way Ohtani has swung the bat tonight it’s also completely understandable. After Betts reached on a single, Braydon Fisher got Freddie Freeman to fly out to end the inning, so the gamble paid off for Blue Jays manager John Schneider.

Emmet Sheehan sat down the Blue Jays in order in the top of the 11th inning.

Kiké Hernández, Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani are due up in the bottom of the frame. Do the Blue Jays even bother pitching to Ohtani again in this game?

If the Blue Jays can get past that, it looks like future Hall of Fame Clayton Kershaw could be coming into the game. You know, just because this game needs more drama.

The Dodgers pushed the potential winning run to second base on a single from Teoscar Hernández, but Jeff Hoffman got Tommy Edman to pop out to first base to escape. On to the 11th we go.

This game is officially a classic. After Ty France reached with a two-out single, Nathan Lukes hit one into the right-field corner. France got the green light to head home, but Teoscar Hernández made a brilliant throw to the cut-off man, Tommy Edman, who nailed France at home plate.

Mookie Betts flew out for the third out of the inning, and we're into the 10th.

As opposed to the regular season, when there’s a runner on second base to begin extra innings, the bases will be empty to begin the 10th.

Ohtani tried to steal second base but was thrown out for the second out of the inning.

The Blue Jays elect to walk Ohtani after two homers and two doubles. I don't blame them. Mookie Betts up.

Game-changing play by the Dodgers here in the top of the eighth inning, as Isiah Kiner-Falefa tried to advance to third base on a Daulton Varsho single which deflected off the glove of first baseman Freddie Freeman. However, Tommy Edman made a heads up play to track down the ball in shallow right field and make a quick and accurate throw to nail Kiner-Falefa at third base.

It was the right call to send Kiner-Falefa to third base. It was simply a great play by Edman, who committed a key error earlier in the game.

To the bottom of the ninth we go in what has been an outstanding ballgame. Shohei Ohtani is due up second. Buckle up.

Ohtani did it again tonight, as he hit his second homer of the night with a solo shot against Seranthony Domínguez in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game 5-5.

Ohtani is now 4-for-4 with two homers and two doubles tonight. He has now tied Frank Isbell of the 1906 White Sox for the most extra base hits (4) in a World Series game.

By the way, Ohtani has now delivered extra-base hits in seven straight at-bats in Dodger Stadium if you include his three-homer performance in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers. Just awe-inducing stuff.

After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to center field, Bo Bichette singled himself on a ground ball to right fielder Teoscar Hernández. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went from first to home to score on a close throw at the plate.

Toronto 5-4 in the seventh.

While Louie Varland stumbled in his World Series debut on Saturday, he continues to be the Blue Jays’ iron man out of the bullpen this postseason.

Varland helped put out a fire in the bottom of the fifth by striking out Will Smith with the go-ahead run on first base, and he just delivered a scoreless frame in the sixth with the help of an excellent throw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to cut down Teoscar Hernández at third base.

Amazingly, Varland has now appeared in 12 out of the Blue Jays’ 14 postseason games. It hasn’t always been a smooth ride — he’s allowed four home runs this month — but the hard-throwing right-hander has certainly earned the trust of his manager.

Wild play just now as the Dodgers were threatening to take the lead.

Enrique Hernández began with a single on a ground ball past shortstop Andrés Giménez. Teoscar Hernández, running to third, was thrown out by first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. moments later.

I noted earlier that the Dodgers’ bats need to step it up. I don’t know if they heard me, but I feel vindicated nonetheless.

Shohei Ohtani has homered and knocked in a run with a double tonight while Freddie Freeman just tied things up with an RBI single against lefty Mason Fluharty in the bottom of the fifth inning. If these guys start getting locked in, this lineup becomes a nightmare for any pitcher.

With Shohei Ohtani at second base and two outs, Freddie Freeman hit a hard ball past the first base bag for a single and an RBI.

It's 4-4 with two outs in the fifth.

Shohei Ohtani doubles on a fly ball to left fielder Nathan Lukes. Enrique Hernández scores.

Dodgers trail 4-3 in the fifth inning.

The Dodgers reliever was able to get Daulton Varsho to pop out to shortstop Mookie Betts and end the fifth for the Blue Jays,

Banda has struggled in relief this postseason for the Dodgers, allowing an ERA of 8.10 over just 3.1 innings pitched.

Coming into this series, it was said the best chance the Blue Jays had against the heavy favorite Dodgers was to get to a starting rotation that was basically untouchable leading into the World Series. Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

While Yoshinobu Yamamoto spun a gem in Game 2, the Blue Jays were able to get to Blake Snell in Game 1, and they’ve now taken it to Tyler Glasnow in Game 3. Getting into that Dodgers’ bullpen — the team’s one glaring weakness — is one of the keys to this series.

While the Dodgers’ big bats haven’t always been rolling this postseason, Teoscar Hernández has been picking up the slack.

After slugging three homers with 12 RBI during the Dodgers’ World Series run last year, Hernández took Max Scherzer deep in the bottom of the second inning tonight, which gives him five home runs during this year’s playoff run.

He’s joining some impressive company for the franchise.

Shohei Ohtani took Max Scherzer deep to right field in the third inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.

Another look at this “pickoff” of Bo Bichette in the second inning.

Home plate umpire Mark Wegner potentially changed the complexion of the inning with his controversial strike call on what was seemingly ball four.

Varsho would go on to draw a walk later in the bat and Alejandro Kirk pushed him to third with a single of his own, but Tyler Glasnow managed to escape by getting the final two outs. One of those moments which could come back to bite the Jays.

The issue, according to John Schneider as he was interviewed by Ken Rosenthal on Fox, was that the call was too delayed or deliberate given the environment of a World Series game

Of course, with the challenge system coming for balls and strikes in 2026, we might not have to worry about many egregious calls like this moving forward.

The Dodgers strike first with a bomb to left center field from Teoscar Hernandez.

Dodgers up 1-0 through 2.

The Dodgers avoided early trouble from Toronto.

Bo Bichette led off with a single to right field but moments later he was picked off at first base. Daulton Varsho walked and was followed by a single from Alejandro Kirk, moving him to third, but Addison Barger struck out and Ernie Clement lined out to center field.

Still scoreless, bottom 2nd.

Tyler Glasnow struck out George Springer to open the game and followed with two popouts of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes.

The Dodgers threatened after a leadoff ground-rule double by Shohei Ohtani, but Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman flied out and Will Smith struck out to end the first.

Glasnow, a right-hander, has been exceptional this postseason with an ERA of 0.68 through 13.1 innings. In three playoff appearances, he's surrendered just seven hits and one earned run.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar, is set to go in Game 3 for Los Angeles.

The Dodgers’ stars — Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts — have had their moments this postseason, but make no mistake, the team’s starting pitching has largely carried the load.

In a continuation of a theme, Los Angeles' big bats are 4-for-21 with a home run and two RBIs through the first two games of the World Series. Fortunately for Dave Roberts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched an absolute gem in Game 2.

Even though Ohtani, Freeman and Betts haven’t hit up to their usual standards thus far, it’s most likely more of a matter of “when” than “if.” Max Scherzer and the Blue Jays will have to hope the worm doesn’t turn tonight.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is coming off one of the most impressive athletic feats in history. Often when we say these things as fans or sports commentators, it’s either hyperbole or recency bias, but this really was something special.

In Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers, Ohtani not only displayed his prodigious power with a three-home-run game, but he also struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings.

Ohtani is scheduled to start Game 4 tomorrow at Dodger Stadium.

The game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Fox (U.S.) and Sportsnet (Canada).

This will be Ohtani’s first start in the World Series. He appeared only as a hitter in the World Series last year, when the Dodgers defeated the Yankees.

Read the full story here.

The Blue Jays infielder, who typically plays shortstop, will be in at second base for Game 3 according to manager John Schneider. Bichette played second in Game 1 but only pinch hit in Game 2.

Bichette suffered a left knee injury in September and Andres Gimenez has played at shortstop since then. He's going to remain at that spot while Bichette shifts to second, potentially for the remainder of the World Series.

The Dodgers starter became the first pitcher to throw a complete game in the World Series since 2015. The last was the Royals’ Johnny Cueto in Game 2 against the Mets, a 7-1 victory. The Giants’ Madison Bumgarner had the only other complete game since 2019, pitching a shutout against the Royals in the 2014 World Series.

He also was the first pitcher since Bumgarner in 2014 to throw two complete games in a single postseason.

Hideo Nomo, who was Rookie of the Year in 1995 with the Dodgers, will throw out the first pitch as the series shifts to Los Angeles.

The future Hall of Famer will take the mound Monday for Toronto with the series tied at one game each. Scherzer was 5-5 this season with a 5.19 ERA, but he's pitched well in the postseason (5.2 innings, 3 hits, 2 ER) and has the experience to get it done on the road.

Scherzer has won the Cy Young Award three times and is a two-time World Series champion with the Washington Nationals and the Texas Rangers.