LOS ANGELES – Before Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had time to truly comprehend his team's historic 6-5, 18-inning victory in Game 3 of the World Series. Toronto Blue Jayshis mind had already begun to return to the perspective reality.
“This is one of the greatest World Series games of all time. Emotional. I'm emotionally devastated,” Roberts said. “We have a ball game tonight and it’s crazy.”
This is crazy. What's even crazier is that Monday's Game 3 turned Game 3 of the 2018 World Series into a once-in-a-lifetime event no longer. Because there were now two 18-inning Fall Classic games at Dodger Stadium, both won by the home team with a game-ending home run. And in both cases, the defeated teams had to turn around and play a decisive fourth game later in the day.
There were about 12 storylines that could dominate the recap of what we saw on Monday, but when we think about what's coming in Game 4 on Tuesday, the same name that dominated Game 3 comes to mind: Shohei Ohtani.
We're always celebrating things Ohtani does that haven't been done before, and on Monday night he added one more to his list. No one had reached base more than six times in a postseason game until he did it nine times against Toronto. The easiest part of his night was the two home runs that resulted in leisurely runs around the bases, but he also doubled twice. Then there were his five walks, which meant he spent a lot of time on the base trails.
If we were talking about Ohtani, the DH, we wouldn't worry about what that means for the next game, but the reality is he should start on the mound in Game 4. The night before a big postseason opener, pitchers are usually tasked with getting as much rest as possible. Ohtani pitched 18 innings.
“He spent,” Roberts said. “He was on base eight, nine times tonight, running the bases. But tomorrow he will take the mound. He will be ready.”
Roberts's challenge is multiple. There are concerns that Monday's marathon could impact Ohtani's ability to go deep on Tuesday, but the Dodgers really need him because both teams had to use every available pitcher to get through Game 3, some of whom had a larger-than-usual workload.
Will KleinThe World Series' newest unsung folk hero, who continues the proud lineage of such young October heroes as Howard Ehmke and Brian Doyle, threw 72 pitches, exactly twice as many as he's thrown in any major league game this season. He's probably gone down, but other pitchers will probably have to live with that.
This includes Clayton Kershawwho faced one batter and retired him to avoid a jam with the bases loaded in extra innings, but was warmed up for three innings before he entered the contest. For everyone who played, it was like The Revenant.
“You never plan on playing 18 innings,” Roberts said. “You just demand more from the player.”
After an 18-inning win over Boston in the 2018 World Series, Roberts faced a similar situation, except his starter the next night — Rich Hill — had not run the bases nine times the night before. Hill worked in the seventh inning with Los Angeles in desperate need of length. But after Hill left, Roberts called up six relievers from his gassed bullpen—and all six allowed at least one run.
Of course, everything the Dodgers dealt with on Monday was something the Blue Jays did too. Manager John Schneider used his entire bullpen, as did Roberts. The Blue Jays' version of Klein was Eric Lauerwho threw 4⅔ scoreless innings and threw 68 pitches. Perhaps more important for Game 4: “Closer”. Jeff Hoffman worked two innings and threw 33 pitches.
Both coaches also know there won't be a day off until Thursday – if the series continues beyond Game 5 on Wednesday. The end of the season is near and a champion will soon be crowned. But the complications that emerged from Monday's classic performance make it all so far off.
“Longest game in World Series history,” Schneider said. “They were in the right mindset and in the right frame of mind the whole time. It’s a shame it’s too late now, but we need to come back and do it again tomorrow.”
One position worth noting is catcher. Toronto Alejandro Kirk caught 11 pitches and hit a three-run homer, but was removed on a runner after drawing a walk in the 12th inning. He was spared at least the final third of the game, giving him a head start on his recovery for Tuesday.
This is not a luxury the Dodgers are fishing for. Will Smith had. In a performance that may have gone under the radar given so many other events, Smith caught the entire game – something no starting catcher had done in an 18-inning game in 2018 – and in doing so, he handled all 10 pitchers the Dodgers used.
“I can't say enough about it,” said Emmett Sheehan, who pitched 2⅔ innings of scoreless relief. “It was gutsy to stay there and he got hit on the arm like 17th. It was amazing to watch. He never pitched. That's who he is.”
However, Toronto has some questions for position players other than its catcher. Another blue jay sent off for a runner was Bo Bichettewho retired in the seventh inning and thus played less than the player who replaced him, Isaiah Keener-Fear. But with Bichette still not at full strength after returning from a knee injury, he too is starting to recover.
While we cannot say this about George Springerwho retired in seventh due to discomfort in his right side and was later sent for an MRI. His eventual absence will be the only relic of the long game that courage cannot overcome.
The Dodgers have four players who played in that game against Boston in 2018: Kershaw, Max MuncyKike Hernandez and Mookie Bettswho played for the Red Sox, but this experience is unlikely to reveal any magic formula for recovery from such competition. If you are destroyed, you are destroyed.
“It was just a whirlwind,” Muncy said. “You felt like you didn’t get enough sleep (in 2018). But because it’s the World Series, you’ll find a way to get going.”
Questions about what impact Game 3 will have on Game 4 (and beyond) will begin with Ohtani's first pitch and continue throughout the game. If Game 3 was a test of survival, Game 4 might be more of a test of will.
“The Dodgers didn't win the World Series today,” Schneider said. “They won the game.”
