In terms of innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday is tied for the longest World Series game ever.
It took 18 innings — the equivalent of two full games — to crown a winner. In actual time, it was the second-longest game in World Series history at six hours and 39 minutes.
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has strong ties to both cities involved in this matchup, ended the game with a walk-off home run.
Freeman hit a walk-off home run in the 2024 World Series, too. In fact, this one was just two days shy of the one-year anniversary of the other.
Rookie Will Klein came in as the 10th pitcher for the Dodgers. He had never pitched more than two innings in a single MLB outing, but he ended up pitching four — and holding the Blue Jays off the scoreboard in all of them, making it possible for Freeman’s home run to be the game-winner.
Shohei Ohtani got on base nine times during the game, including four intentional walks and one unintentional, as the Blue Jays concluded it was better to give him first base than run the risk of letting him hit a home run.
The social media world’s reactions ranged from relief to disbelief. Here are some of the best ones.
Sports analyst Rachel Nichols remarked that the home run guaranteed Freeman’s grandchildren free meals for life in Los Angeles.
First-ballot Hall of Famer CC Sabathia suggested that the game’s winner should just take the trophy.
Former Utah Jazz and current Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell weighed in, thanking Freeman for ending it. Nearly two hours earlier, he’d posted, “This baseball game still goin on???”
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid also commented on how long the game was, joking that he had a game the next day.
Fox Sports’ MLB account joked that the game was so long, they’d need to start calling fans in the stadium to pitch.
Several people, including MLB analyst Ben Verlander, pointed out that Ohtani and Rōki Sasaki ran to fellow Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who had been warming up in the bullpen, instead of crowding Freeman with everyone else.
Yamamoto had pitched a complete game just two days earlier, so the fact that he was preparing to take the mound again showed just how dire the situation was.
Game 4 begins at 6 p.m. MDT on Tuesday.