18 innings later... reactions to a World Series Classic

Good Morning! There’s going to be hundreds of thousands of words written and multiple documentaries made about the baseball game played last night at Dodger Stadium. But if you went to bed early and didn’t get to see all six hours and 38 minutes of Game Three, here are a few late-night highlights that I must write about before heading to bed, starting with the way it all ended…

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

For the second year in a row, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit an extra-inning walk-off home run in the World Series. He’s the only player in MLB history to do so. Take a look at the magical moment that ended the marathon:

And if for some reason that wasn’t cool enough, try this one on for size… you may remember game three in 2018, when Max Muncy hit a walk-off home run for the Dodgers. Would you believe that both Muncy and Freddie delivered their game-winners leading off the 18th inning, on a 3-2 pitch? The two games tied for the longest in World Series history were won by the same team, at the same stadium, in the the same way.

INTRODUCING WILL KLEIN

Before tonight, there were very few baseball fans who knew about Will Klein. A late addition to the World Series roster, the 25-year-old Klein has thrown 22.1 career innings in the big leagues with a .516 ERA. But as the game grew longer and the available arms in the Dodger bullpen dwindled, manager Dave Roberts called his number. Wouldn’t you know it, Will Klein delivered.

He entered the game in the 15th inning as the 10th Dodger pitcher. Klein threw four scoreless innings with five strikeouts, allowing just one hit and two walks. It was the longest outing of his professional career, and by far the most dominant. So after a heroic effort, it was only fitting that Will Klein would be rewarded as the winning pitcher.

WAIT, WHAT?

A lot of weird stuff happens during 18 innings of a World Series game. A bat boy had to bring out a little scraper to get mud out of a pitcher’s shoes… Saturday’s starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was warming up to go in for a potential 19th inning… and broadcasters Joe Davis and John Smoltz had lots to say about fruit…

SHO TIME

Shohei Ohtani continues to do things on the baseball field that no one else has ever dreamed of. He began last night going 4-4 with two doubles, two home runs, and three RBIs. That made Shohei the second player in World Series history with four extra-base hits in one World Series game! To the dismay of most everyone who loves great entertainment, the Blue Jays finally wised up and stopped pitching to him. Ohtani ended the game with five walks, four of which were intentional. He broke the postseason record of six and tied the all-time MLB record by safely reaching base nine times in one game! Crazy enough, but then you remember we’re talking about today’s starting pitcher! In a game that defied the imagination and broke countless records, the impact of Shohei Ohtani was incalcuable.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT ME

It’s one thing for a game to go on forever and take a long time, but this was super exciting throughout. Here’s just a short list of reasons why:

• Alejandro Kirk’s three-run homer

• 35 runners left on base! In case you were wondering, that’s another record. The constant pressure of runners on base kept up the intensity throughout this marathon. And speaking of outs on the base path…

• Four different runners thrown out at third base and home plate. Vladdy Guerrero, Addison Barger, and Tommy Edman were the ones who made the game-extending plays in the field.

• Clayton Kershaw came in with the bases loaded and two outs in the 12th inning. He got a crucial out and kept his team alive in what may be his last appearance ever.

• Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer, and an impressive effort by the Blue Jays pitching staff. A shame that someone had to lose this one

• Did I mention Shohei Ohtani yet? Shohei Ohtani is really good

• Miguel Rojas and the dying art of the bunt. The bottom of the 13th inning was fascinating… there’s nothing better than baseball strategy!

And I could go on! Sorry that this late-night Remix has become very stream-of-consciousness and a bit of a ramble. I encourage everyone to watch some highlights, read an interview, and call a friend for a more coherent recap. But wow, that was a fun night of baseball…

Ready to do it all again tonight! See you on Thursday morning