LOS ANGELES -- When Freddie Freeman walked off Game 1 of the 2024 World Series with an iconic 10th-inning grand slam that forever etched him into Dodgers history, he said it was what you dream about as a kid.
But Freeman never dreamed of doing it twice.
“I don't think you ever come up with a scenario twice,” Freeman said Monday night after his walk-off home run in the 18th inning gave the Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Blue Jays in Game 3 of this year’s World Series. “But you just kept getting the opportunities over and over again.”
Freeman had another opportunity earlier. After connecting on a four-seam fastball down the middle from Eric Lauer in the 13th inning, he laid his bat down and started toward first. He was sure that was the one — until the ball died at the warning track, and Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho ran it down for the third out.
The Dodgers had a couple more teasers as their record-tying extra-innings battle raged on. A 101.9 screamer from Will Smith that had the Dodger Stadium crowd on its feet in the 14th. Another one from Teoscar Hernández in the 16th. Both fell just short of the wall in center field as the thick marine layer settled in over Chavez Ravine.
But when Freeman stepped back into the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the 18th inning, he was as confident as he had been all night.
“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,” Freeman said with a laugh. “It just felt like my swing was getting better and better.”
Six pitches later, Freeman put a swing on a sinker over the plate. This time, he wasn’t sure. But the ball kept carrying. Varsho tried to make one more play at the wall, but it sailed over his head. Freeman pointed to the sky as he rounded first base, his teammates rushing the field to finish off two games’ worth of baseball in one night as the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the World Series.
“It's one of the greatest World Series games of all time,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Emotional. I'm spent emotionally. We got a ballgame later tonight, which is crazy.”
Will Klein, the last guy in the Dodgers’ bullpen, who threw 72 pitches after never throwing more than 45 in his professional career, was sitting on the railing in the dugout. He had a gut feeling when he saw the ball come off Freeman’s bat, and then he blacked out.
“Just pure excitement,” Klein said. “I mean, 18 innings, 17 innings of pure grit and determination of everyone on that team … everyone was into that game with their all. So that was the epitome of what the team's done all year, and just having Freddie do it, like you know he would, just kind of was the cherry on top.”
It took six hours and 39 minutes, but the Dodgers came out on top to win a crucial Game 3. There have been 101 instances in MLB history when a best-of-seven postseason series has been tied 1-1. The winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series 70 of those times (69.3%). Teams winning Game 3 at home ended up winning their series 29 of 48 times (60.4%).
History is on their side, but the Dodgers have experienced enough over the years to know just how much it takes to actually win the whole thing.
For Freeman, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment – twice. And for Max Muncy, who walked the Dodgers off in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox, it was a little bit of deja vu.
Especially since he was due to bat third in the 18th this time around, before Freeman walked it off.
“It was starting to feel real similar,” Muncy said. “I kind of thought the stars were starting to align again for me. … I don't know if there’s anything you can learn from it. Everything’s a whirlwind. Tomorrow, later today, is going to come really, really quick. So you’ve got to get home, try to get some rest and try to recover as best you can.”