When Freddie Freeman rounded the bases after his 405-foot blast into straightaway center field, the clock at Dodger Stadium read 11:47 PM PDT — and baseball history had just been rewritten. On October 27, 2025, in the bottom of the 18th inning of Game 3 of the 2025 World SeriesLos Angeles, the 35-year-old Dodgers captain crushed a full-count sinker from Toronto Blue Jays reliever Will Little, sealing a 6-5 win that stretched beyond six hours and into the annals of baseball lore. This wasn’t just another walk-off. It was the second one Freeman had delivered in World Series play — a feat no player in MLB history had ever accomplished.
A Game That Refused to End
The game began at 5:08 PM PDT with the kind of energy you’d expect from a World Series clash — but no one could’ve predicted what followed. By the 10th inning, it was already the longest game in World Series history. By the 15th, it had broken the record for most pitchers used in a single postseason game (30 total). The crowd of 54,157 stayed on their feet, not because they knew it would end, but because they refused to believe it wouldn’t. Shohei Ohtani reached base nine times — a postseason record — but even his brilliance couldn’t break the deadlock. The Blue Jays, making their first World Series appearance since 1993, threw 11 relievers after starter Kevin Gausman. The Dodgers countered with 15, including Clayton Kershaw, who entered with the bases loaded in the 12th and got the final out on a groundball to first. His face? Pure exhaustion. His smile? Pure relief.
Freeman’s Magic — Again
Freeman’s first walk-off heroics came on October 26, 2024 — a Kirk Gibson-esque grand slam in Game 1 of the previous World Series. Back then, it felt like destiny. Now? It felt like deja vu with a twist. "I don’t think you ever come up with a scenario twice," he told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal after the game. "But you just kept getting the opportunities over and over again." The pitch from Little? A 91 mph sinker, low and inside. Freeman didn’t swing for the fences. He just kept his hands inside and drove it. The exit velocity: 107.4 mph. Launch angle: 34 degrees. Distance: 405 feet. The ball hung in the air like time itself had paused. Freeman jogged, unsure. Then, as the ball cleared the fence, he raised both arms — not in triumph, but in disbelief.
The Bullpen Marathon
Both teams used their entire depth charts. The Blue Jays’ 19th pitcher, Will Little, had never thrown a pitch in the postseason before this game. The Dodgers’ 15th pitcher, Will Klein, a 26-year-old right-hander with a shock of red hair, threw four perfect innings — the kind of performance that turns anonymous relievers into legends overnight. He sprinted from the bullpen the moment Freeman connected. "I didn’t even know I was running," Klein said later. "I just saw him hit it and my legs moved." Meanwhile, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers’ ace who started the game, offered to come back out for the 19th inning if needed. He didn’t have to. But the fact he volunteered? That’s the kind of team culture that wins championships.
What Almost Was
The game was full of near-misses that could’ve changed everything. In the 13th, Freeman lined a four-seamer off Eric Lauer — it died at the warning track, caught by Daulton Varsho. In the 14th, Will Smith crushed a 101.9 mph line drive that screamed toward the right-field corner — but right fielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made a diving catch, tumbling into the stands. In the 16th, Teoscar Hernández lined one to the warning track again. And in the 10th, shortstop Tommy Edman made a diving stop on a slow roller, then fired a laser to home to nail David Schneider. That play alone kept the score tied at 5-5. Those moments didn’t just define the game. They made it immortal.
Why This Matters
This wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. The Dodgers now lead the series 2-1. Game 4, scheduled for October 29 at Dodger Stadium, will be a coronation if they win — or a reckoning if the Blue Jays force it back to Toronto. But more than that, this game redefined endurance in baseball. The 609 pitches thrown. The 399 minutes of play. The 34 hits. The 22 walks. The 19 pitchers on one side, 11 on the other. No game in World Series history had gone this long. Not in 1916. Not in 1986. Not even in 2018, when the Dodgers and Red Sox played 18 innings — but that was in the regular season. This was the World Series. On baseball’s biggest stage. In front of a stadium full of believers.
What’s Next
Game 4 looms on Wednesday. The Dodgers will send 27-year-old right-hander Tony Gonsolin to the mound, fresh off his Game 1 win. The Blue Jays, facing elimination, will likely turn to 25-year-old phenom Jordan Romano — but their bullpen is spent. They’ve used 11 pitchers over three games. Their best relievers are on fumes. Meanwhile, Freeman’s legend grows. He’s now the only player with two walk-off homers in World Series history. And if he hits another? Don’t be surprised. The man has a sixth sense for the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Freddie Freeman become the first player with two World Series walk-off home runs?
Freddie Freeman hit his first walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series — a grand slam off Boston’s Tanner Houck that mirrored Kirk Gibson’s legendary 1988 moment. His second came in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series against Toronto’s Will Little. No player in MLB history had ever achieved two walk-off homers in World Series play. The rarity lies in the combination of timing, pressure, and consistency — both homers came in extra innings with the game tied, and both were decisive.
What records were broken in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series?
Game 3 set multiple records: longest World Series game by innings (18), most total pitches in a World Series game (609), most pitchers used by one team in a single World Series game (19 by Toronto), and longest duration (399 minutes). It also marked the first time in MLB postseason history that a game reached the 18th inning. The Dodgers’ bullpen threw 13.1 scoreless innings, the most by any team in a single postseason game.
Why is this win so significant for the Los Angeles Dodgers?
The Dodgers, seeking their eighth World Series title, now lead the series 2-1 after winning two consecutive extra-inning games. Their depth, resilience, and leadership — especially from Freeman and Kershaw — have been on full display. With Game 4 at home, they’re one win away from a commanding 3-1 series lead. If they close it out, it would be their first title since 2020 and solidify this roster as one of the most clutch in modern baseball history.
How did the Toronto Blue Jays’ bullpen hold up over the series?
The Blue Jays’ bullpen has been stretched thin. After Game 3, they’ve used 30 pitchers across three games — a postseason record. Their top relievers, including Jordan Romano and Yimi García, have each thrown multiple innings in consecutive games. With no off day before Game 4, manager John Schneider faces a crisis: either risk overworking his core arms or turn to untested rookies. The Dodgers, by contrast, have fresh arms like Gonsolin and rookie sensation Mason Miller ready to go.
Is this the most dramatic World Series game ever played?
It’s arguably the most physically exhausting and statistically unprecedented. While the 1986 World Series Game 6 had the iconic Bill Buckner error, and 2016’s Game 7 had the rain delay and Cubs’ comeback, this game combined endurance, multiple near-misses, historic pitching depth, and a walk-off homer from a captain who’d done it before. The sheer length — over six hours — and the emotional weight of Freeman’s repeat heroics make this game feel like a cinematic epic in real time.
What’s the likelihood of Freeman hitting another walk-off in Game 4?
Statistically, it’s extremely unlikely — no player has ever hit three walk-off homers in a single postseason, let alone two in the World Series. But Freeman’s clutch gene is real. He’s now 3-for-3 in extra-inning, game-deciding at-bats since October 2024. If the game goes deep again, expect him to bat in the 3rd or 4th spot with runners on. The Blue Jays will pitch around him — but if they do, Ohtani or Mookie Betts could be the next hero.
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