Freddie Freeman is Dodgers’ World Series hero again in 18-inning win

In the early twilight of the evening, when one of baseball’s most remarkable nights still seemed relatively normal, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a prediction.

“At the end of the day,” Roberts said in an in-game interview with Fox television broadcast in the fourth inning, with both starting pitchers struggling on their outings, “it’s going to be a bullpen battle tonight.”

Freddie Freeman hit a home run to center field in the 18th inning of a 6-5 Dodgers victory in Game 3 of the World Series that turned out to be so much more.

It was a test of mental fortitude. A challenge of calm and sudden death. A battle of physical wear and tear and emotional strength. An instant classic with too many twists and turns to count.

There were sudden turnovers and wild bounces, like when a Bo Bichette single in the top of the seventh ricocheted off a sound guy along the elbow of the wall in foul territory, allowing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to score from first with the help of an errant throw from Teoscar Hernández.

There were big errors and even bigger swings, like when Shohei Ohtani tied the Dodgers again in the bottom of the seventh by hitting a first-pitch fastball up the middle off Blue Jays reliever Seranthony Domínguez for a solo home run – tying a World Series single-game record with his fourth extra base hit of the night.

There were game-saving defensive plays, none more significant than when a Dodgers defense that had struggled earlier in the night cut down a runner at home plate in the top of the 10th, after two perfectly executed throws from Hernández and Tommy Edman.

There were heroic outings, from the scoreless early appearances the Dodgers got from youngsters Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Edgardo Henriquez, to the bases-loaded jam that future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw escaped in the 12th, to the courageous four innings Will Klein provided on more.

And finally, nearly seven hours later, it all culminated with Freeman’s home run, giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in this World Series and a victory that will be remembered forever at Chavez Ravine.

Initially, Monday’s game was marked by momentum shifts.

The Dodgers took an early lead with a big blast – and a big break.

In the top of the second, Bichette was picked off after thinking Daulton Varsho had walked, starting to casually walk toward second as Tyler Glasnow lunged. The Blue Jays put two runners on later in the inning, but thanks to the pick-off, Glasnow was able to block them.

The dynamic had changed. And right on cue, in the next half inning, the Dodgers would take advantage.

Teoscar Hernández quickly opened the scoring with a solo blast late in the second, throwing his bat in celebration for his fifth long ball of October. The Dodgers added on again in the third, going up 2-0 after Ohtani (who would reach base a postseason record nine times) took Max Scherzer deep despite apparently being stranded on an inside fastball in the third.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivered in the first inning of Game 3 of the World Series on Monday at Dodger Stadium.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Alas, the Blue Jays would respond quickly, taking the lead with their own big explosion – and their own big break.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Freeman was brought down trying to score from second on a single by Will Smith, easily getting thrown out by big-armed right fielder Addison Barger after an overly aggressive throw from third base coach Dino Ebel.

Suddenly, the momentum was back in the Blue Jays’ favor. And right on cue, in the next half inning, it was their turn to take advantage, with Alejandro Kirk hitting a hanging curveball off Glasnow’s first pitch to center for a three-run homer.

The Blue Jays added from there as well, giving it a 4-2 lead on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

The Dodgers would answer in the fifth, scoring twice after Ohtani hit an RBI double into the gap and scored on a Freeman single in the next at-bat.

From there, the battle of the pens would begin.

Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a third-inning home run for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The Dodgers tied the score in the fifth, after Scherzer left the mound with one on board for left-hander Mason Fluharty to face Ohtani. Ohtani, however, would negate the platoon advantage by stringing an opposite-field RBI double (his first opposite-field hit since September 20) into the gap. Freeman also won his left-left matchup with Fluharty, picking off Ohtani with a ground ball into the first base bag two batters later.

The Blue Jays came back in front in the seventh, on the line Bichette hit the sound guy, ricocheted away from where Hernández was initially running in right field, and took him long enough to recover that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could score from first. A good throw probably still would have gotten Guerrero, but Hernández took Smith to the first-base line.

Ohtani quickly erased that deficit by getting a meatball from Domínguez’s first pitch that he threw again the other direction toward the left field seats.

Then there wouldn’t be another point until the 18th – thanks in large part to some spectacular defense.

Dodgers catcher Will Smith strikes out Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider at the plate during the ninth inning of Game 3 of the World Series on Monday.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Back in the sixth, Guerrero went heads-up on a Kiké Hernández single, alertly cutting the ball early and sending it back across the diamond to get Teoscar Hernández, who was trying to move from first to third after running down the field, with a perfect throw.

In the eighth, Edman made a similar play on a line drive that initially deflected off Freeman’s glove, tracking the shallow ball to right before turning and firing to third to get Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who, like Hernández, was trying to move from first to third.

The biggest defensive play came in the 10th, when Teoscar Hernández and Edman turned their relay play on a Nathan Lukes double to bring pinch runner Davis Schneider to the plate as he tried to score from first — ending the inning with Guerrero standing on deck.

Clayton Kershaw delivers in the 12th inning for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Then there was a stomach-churning in the 12th, when Kershaw inherited a bases-loaded jam from Sheehan — and the crowd became nervously tense, almost as if fearing the worst possible ending imaginable to his illustrious but haunted postseason run.

As the night wore on, Klein also became a hero. The little-known midseason trade acquisition, who spent most of the season in the minors, had not been on the team’s postseason roster in the previous three rounds and had not thrown more than 45 pitches in a game all season.

That night, however, he achieved legendary status, returning to the mound in inning after inning after inning after inning from the 15th to the 18th, throwing four scoreless frames on 72 grueling pitches.

Dodgers pitcher Will Klein delivered his performance in the 15th inning against the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the World Series on Monday.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

According to the Fox broadcast, Roberts planned to use a position player after the 17th inning. But after Yoshinobu Yamamoto volunteered to pitch and went down to the bullpen to begin warming up, Roberts decided to stretch Klein out for an extra inning.

He got out of it, throwing a curveball for a strikeout that stranded runners at second and third.

Then, moments later, Freeman finally ended the game with a home run to center.

Freddie Freeman celebrates after hitting an eighth-inning home run to end Game 3 of the World Series Monday night.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)