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Shohei Ohtani: nine times on base the day before a start on the mound in the World Series

October 28, 2025

Yesterday, we could say that the game had the feel of a World Series classic. And I said this last night, long before the Dodgers won this in 18 innings: It was quite a ball game.

There are several elements to remember in all of this. First, it's impossible to ignore the fact that this was the second time the Dodgers went to the 18th inning of a World Series game since 2018. Max Muncy had ended the debate against Boston.

There, it was Freddie Freeman who did it in the longest game of the 2025 series. That was three more innings than the Tigers v. Mariners.

Freeman, who hit a game-winning home run in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series against the Yankees, is the only player in history with two game-winning homers (walk off) in the World Series.

But we also have to talk about the defensive play of the two teams. Four hits from Teoscar Hernandez. Of the two teams who used more than 20 players each for 6 hours 39 minutes yesterday.

In fact, the Blue Jays used their entire bench and only had three pitchers available at the end of the game: Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber. Bieber will throw tonight, even if he warmed up at the end of the game.

The Dodgers had bench players left (I would have taken Will Smith out of there before, but oh well) and only two pitchers were available: Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who got hot despite throwing 105 pitches on Saturday.

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A crazy match, I say.

On both sides, the relief was incredible (more than the attack, which did nothing on both sides from the eighth inning to the 17th inning) and held the game at arm's length. Eric Lauer and Will Klein, who each pitched more than four innings, were heroes for their club.

Besides, according to Lauer, everyone is ready to start again tonight.

Earlier, I said there were two pitchers left for the Dodgers, but I didn't take Shohei Ohtani into account. The latter will throw this evening and there was no chance of seeing the DH come to throw the day before his departure.

But we're going to talk about it, about the DH… who only wanted to go to bed once the match was over.

In his first four at-bats, he put the ball to safety four times: two doubles and two home runs. Already there, we were saying that he was in the process of erasing his reputation as a guy who doesn't hit in the playoffs.

But he added five appearances on base: four walks given intentionally… and one walk where he was not challenged. In short, he went on goal nine times.

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This is a playoff record and tied the regular season mark in major league baseball history. All this, as I said, just hours before Game #4 of the World Series begins.

Expect the same thing tonight: if necessary, he will get free passes.

In a game where Dave Roberts considered pitching a position player, the Dodgers didn't have the chance to see Shohei Ohtani make the difference because his bat was taken out of his hands.

And even though Freddie Freeman was the hero, it was the right thing to do for the Blue Jays. Being beaten by Shohei Ohtani was not a possibility.

The last time the Japanese played at Dodger Stadium, he distinguished himself by hitting three home runs and pitching six scoreless innings. We know what he is capable of and John Schneider did what he had to do.

But this evening, as a starter, Nippon will be more inevitable.

PMLB
  • Was Addison Barger taken out of the game too early? The question arises.

  • Reminder: the Canadian plays at 10:30 p.m. this evening in Seattle.

  • What will match #4 look like?
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October 28, 2025
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