Dodgers produce 18-inning World Series sequel, `The Late, Late Sho'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The World Series Late Show was so good the Dodgers produced a sequel: The Late, Late Sho. Seven years and one day after outlasting the Boston Red Sox over 18 innings in Game 3, Los Angeles did it again, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Monday night on Freddie Freeman's 18th-inning home run off Brendon Little to take a two games to one lead in the best-of-seven matchup. Dodgers rookie reliever Justin Wrobleski, having gotten five outs in the sixth and seventh innings, was astonished at what he saw. "I look up at the scoreboard and the innings that I pitch are no longer on the scoreboard," he said. "That's probably the craziest thing." Shohei Ohtani, used to a dual life as a batter and pitcher, had what amounted to a double game at the plate. He homered twice and doubled twice in the first four-extra-base-hit Series game since Frank Isbell in 1906. He then walked five times, four of them intentionally — three times with no one on base. He tied the record of reaching base nine times. He even stayed in the game after being stricken by a leg cramp while he was caught stealing in the ninth inning. "And he's got to pitch in like, I don't know, 12 hours, 13 hours," Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw marveled. A night to remember saw 609 pitches thrown over 6 hours, 39 minutes. Forty-four players appeared, including 19 pitchers. The Dodgers outhit the Blue Jays 16-15 in a game that included a 10-inning double shutout — no runs were scored from innings eight through 17. Los Angeles went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 18 runners, and Toronto was 2 for 12 RISP with 19 left on base. "It takes everybody to win a World Series," said the Dodgers' Max Muncy, who hit the winning 18th-inning homer against Nathan Eovaldi in 2018 — the only LA win in that Series. In an array of defensive gems, right fielder Addison Barger cut down Freeman at the plate with a 98.5 mph missile, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. threw out Teoscar Hernández at third with an 87.6 mph rocket, Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman gunned down Isiah Kiner-Falefa from short right field and Hernández relayed to Edman to throw out Davis Schneider at the plate. "Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy game," Toronto starter Max Scherzer said. Kershaw helps bullpen Sandy Koufax, a three-time World Series champion two months shy of his 90th birthday, stayed until the end. A three-time Cy Young Award winner who plans to retire after the Series, Kershaw came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded in the 12th inning to Fun's "We Are Young," in what the 37-year-old left-hander thought was his first extra-innings outing at any level. Nathan Lukes fouled off Kershaw's second full-count pitch, a 91.9 mph offering that was his fastest since July 31, 2024, then grounded to second. "I throw gas now," Kershaw said, laughing. Kershaw had "51" written on his cap like other Dodgers relievers in a tribute to Alex Vesia, who is missing the Series because of what the team said was a "deeply personal family matter." "I was warming up for like four innings," Kershaw said. "That's bullpen life. I'm learning." Los Angeles set a Series record by using 10 pitchers. Rookie Will Klein got the win with 72 pitches over four scoreless innings, both double his previous big league highs. He stranded runners at second and third in the top of the 18th by striking out Tyler Heineman. "There were times when you're starting to feel down and you feel your legs aren't there or your arm's not there, and you just got to be like, well, who else is going to come save me?" Klein said. "So I had to dig deep, do it myself." Game 1 starter Blake Snell had thrown a bullpen and was unavailable. Yoshinobu Yamamoto approached manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior volunteering to relieve, two days after throwing 105 pitches to win Game 2 in his second consecutive complete game. Yamamoto was warming up while Klein pitched the 18th. "He was in the next inning," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He would have gone as long as we needed. He would have been the last guy." Rojas was ready to pitch Second baseman Miguel Rojas, who made four mop-up pitching appearances during the season, entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 13th and realized a few innings later he might be called on to pitch on 115 days' rest and become the first position player to take the mound in a World Series. Rojas threw 120 big league pitches over the past three seasons and mentally readied his arsenal, which ranged from 36.6 mph to 69.8 mph during this year's outings. "I was the only one who had done it before and feel like I had the best chance to kind of get outs if I needed to be out there for the boys," he said. "I was thinking about actually pitching, trying to throw at least one fastball and one breaking ball." As each extra inning unfolded and platters of pineapple and watermelon were being passed in the dugouts, Wrobleski kept leaving the Dodgers bench for the clubhouse and joined Michael Conforto, Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates, a trio of inactive teammates, in trying to will a victory. "Maybe wardrobe change, maybe something to try and get us some runs," Wrobleski said. "Well, I went sweatshirt and then I went no sweatshirt and then I went two different pairs or three different pairs of shoes. The third pair of shoes finally worked," he said, proudly pointing out white Skechers. Kershaw's kids have their own locker next to his in the Dodgers clubhouse, but as he spoke to reporters there was no sign of the four, who range in age from 3 to 10. Asked whether they saw the end of the game, he said: "At least two of them did." ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb