Triple-A Cubs and Dodgers play accidental tripleheader when Game 1 goes 19 innings

Time stops for no one, but it can't stop baseball. The fact that baseball operates outside the normal constructs of the space-time continuum is what prompted MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to implement new pace-of-play measures at various levels of the game. It's also what makes an 18-inning postseason game so incredible.

What if this game never ends?!

That was a question that the Oklahoma City Dodgers and the Iowa Cubs faced on Tuesday when they played 26 innings of baseball. The Triple-A affiliates planned to play a shortened doubleheader (two seven-inning games), but didn't plan on needing 19 frames to settle the score in Game 1.

This is my scorebook after 19 innings tonight. Lots of color. pic.twitter.com/2HZuqFrXem

- Randy Wehofer (@RandyWehofer) September 2, 2015

The Dodgers won the first game, 6-4, thanks to Buck Britton's walk-off home run:

Game 2 started at 11 p.m. CT, and the Dodgers won that one too, 3-1. It was called after six-and-a-half innings, but that's still a total of 26 frames -- one short of three full-length games:

Corey Seager -- the second best prospect in baseball according to MLB.com's most recent rankings -- went 3-for-10 with two doubles, two walks and three RBIs on the day.

Former Cub Emilio Bonifacio only had a pinch-hit appearance in the second game, but still managed to go 4-for-6 with four walks in total. 

The teams used a combined 18 pitchers in the marathon doubleheader, including Deck McGuire (GREAT baseball name, by the way), who the Dodgers asked to drive in from Double-A Tulsa to be on-hand for Game 2. He pitched three innings and got the win.

After beating the Dodgers on Monday, 9-3, the Cubs still have a shot to win the series when the squads square-off on Wednesday and Thursday. That might be the longest five-game series anyone involved will ever play.