LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani homered twice and tied a 119-year-old Major League record with four extra-base hits in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night, putting on another historic postseason showing at Dodger Stadium.
After his four-hit barrage in the first seven innings, Ohtani walked five straight in this epic 18-inning World Series game, becoming the first Major Leaguer in 83 years to reach base nine times in any game, let alone the postseason.
The Dodgers eventually won 6-5 on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer from the 18th.
“The most important thing is that we won,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “And what I achieved today is in the context of this game, and the most important thing is that we turn the page and play the next game.”
Freeman’s final clutch homer came over the fence just over 17 hours before Ohtani will make his first World Series start on the mound when he pitches for the Dodgers in Game 4 on Tuesday night.
“I want to go to sleep as soon as possible so I can get ready,” said a smiling Ohtani.
Ohtani led off the bottom of the first inning with a ground-rule double to right field. He followed with a solo homer to right in the third inning off Toronto starter Max Scherzer and added an RBI double in the fifth off reliever Mason Fluharty during a game-tying run for Los Angeles.
Ohtani then hit a tying solo homerun off Seranthony Domínguez with one out in the seventh. It was his sixth home run in the Dodgers’ last four games, and tied Corey Seager’s eight home runs in 2020 for the most by a Dodgers player in a single postseason.
The Blue Jays had seen enough of Ohtani by then: Manager John Schneider intentionally walked him in the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth innings – and the gamble worked every time, with Ohtani’s teammates unable to get him home.
Ohtani is the first player to be walked intentionally four times in a postseason game, just one short of the overall Major League record for intentional passes set by Andre Dawson in May 1990.
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With a man on first, the Blue Jays threw to Ohtani in the 17th — but barely, with Brendon Little throwing four pitches comfortably outside the zone.
Ohtani became the first player to reach base nine times since Stan Hack had five hits and four walks for the Cubs in an 18-inning game on August 9, 1942, tying a record also set by Max Carey in 1922 and Johnny Burnett in 1932.
After becoming the first player in MLB history with three multi-homer games in a single postseason, Ohtani is two shy of Randy Arozarena’s record for home runs in a postseason.
Only one other player in baseball history had four extra-base hits in a World Series game: Frank Isbell had four doubles for the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 in 1906 against the Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani also became the first batter to do so multiple games with at least 12 total bases in one postseason. The only other player to play two such postseason games in his career was Babe Ruth.
Once again, Ohtani put on a spectacular show for the Los Angeles fans who absolutely “need” him, posting his first four-hit game of the postseason in his first game at Dodger Stadium since hitting three home runs and striking out 10 Milwaukee Brewers. his sensational two-way effort during a National League Championship Series victory 10 days ago.
Ohtani has six hits and five RBIs in the first three games of the World Series against Toronto, the city where fans sang “We don’t need you!” in Ohtani as the Blue Jays won Game 1. Ohtani also homered late in that blowout loss.
Ohtani hit two home runs in the Dodgers’ first game of the postseason against Cincinnati, but he hadn’t homered again until after his historic performance in the NLCS. All three of those home runs were solo shots, and he hit a pair of solo homers in Game 3.
He first connected for a 300-foot drive inside the right-field pole in the third inning.
After struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4 in the seventh, Ohtani tied the score with a 400-foot homer to left-center.
Ohtani now trails only Arozarena, who set the Major League record with 10 postseason home runs in 2020 before Tampa Bay lost the World Series to Seager and the Dodgers.
Ohtani doubled on Scherzer’s second pitch of Game 3, though his teammates couldn’t bring him home.
Ohtani tied the game when he doubled to left-center in the fifth, hitting an inside sweeper from Fluharty into the gap for his first opposite-field hit since September 20, a span of 77 at-bats.
After that double, Ohtani scored the tying run on Freddie Freeman’s single.
The Blue Jays signed Scherzer just before Ohtani came on and replaced the veteran right-hander with Fluharty, who memorably struck out Ohtani with the bases loaded while escaping a big jam to secure the ball. a 5-4 win for Toronto at Dodger Stadium in August.
Ohtani quickly tried to steal second after drawing a walk in the ninth, but he was tagged out when he popped up and briefly came off base.
Ohtani moved to second on Mookie Betts’ two-out single in the 11th, though he gingerly stopped at the bag due to cramps. However, he stayed in the game and Freeman flied out to end the inning.
With Tommy Edman on third base in the 13th inning, the Jays intentionally walked both Ohtani and Betts to load the bases with two outs. Freeman, who ended Game 1 of last year’s World Series with a grand slam, hit a fly ball 370 feet to the warning track in center.
Ohtani’s walk in the 17th inning put two Dodgers on base with two outs, but Betts popped out to go 1 for 8.
