LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani homered twice and tied a 119-year-old main league report with 4 extra-base hits in Recreation 3 of the World Collection on Monday night time, placing on one more historic postseason present at Dodger Stadium.
After his four-hit barrage within the first seven innings, Ohtani drew 5 consecutive walks on this epic 18-inning World Collection sport, making him the primary main leaguer in 83 years to achieve base 9 instances in any sport, not to mention the postseason.
The Dodgers lastly gained 6-5 on Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer main off the 18th.
“What issues essentially the most is we gained,” Ohtani mentioned by means of his interpreter. “And what I completed at present is within the context of this sport, and what issues essentially the most is we flip the web page and play the subsequent sport.”
Freeman’s newest clutch homer cleared the fence simply over 17 hours earlier than Ohtani will make his first World Collection begin on the mound when he pitches for the Dodgers in Recreation 4 on Tuesday night time.
“I would like to fall asleep as quickly as potential so I can prepare,” a smiling Ohtani mentioned.
Ohtani led off the underside of the primary with a ground-rule double to proper area. He adopted with a solo homer to proper within the third inning off Toronto starter Max Scherzer and added an RBI double within the fifth off reliever Mason Fluharty throughout a tying rally for Los Angeles.
Ohtani then hit a tying solo homer off Seranthony Domínguez with one out within the seventh. It was his sixth homer within the Dodgers’ final 4 video games, and he tied Corey Seager’s eight homers in 2020 for essentially the most by a Dodgers participant in a single postseason.
The Blue Jays had seen sufficient of Ohtani by then: Supervisor John Schneider deliberately walked him within the ninth, eleventh, thirteenth and fifteenth innings — and the gambit labored every time, with Ohtani’s teammates unable to get him residence.
Ohtani is the primary participant to be deliberately walked 4 instances in a postseason sport, only one shy of the general main league report for intentional passes set by Andre Dawson in Might 1990.
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With a person on first, the Blue Jays pitched to Ohtani within the Seventeenth — however simply barely, with Brendon Little throwing 4 pitches comfortably exterior the zone.
Ohtani grew to become the primary participant to achieve base 9 instances since Stan Hack had 5 hits and 4 walks for the Cubs in an 18-inning sport on Aug. 9, 1942, tying a report additionally achieved by Max Carey in 1922 and Johnny Burnett in 1932.
After changing into the primary participant in MLB historical past with three multihomer video games in a single postseason, Ohtani is 2 shy of Randy Arozarena’s report for homers in a postseason.
Just one different participant in baseball historical past received 4 extra-base hits in a World Collection sport: Frank Isbell had 4 doubles for the Chicago White Sox in Recreation 5 in 1906 in opposition to the Chicago Cubs.
Ohtani additionally grew to become the primary hitter to have multiple games with at least 12 total bases in a single postseason. The one different participant to have two such postseason video games in his profession was Babe Ruth.
As soon as once more, Ohtani placed on a spectacular present for the Los Angeles followers who positively “want” him, posting his first four-hit sport of the postseason in his first sport again at Dodger Stadium since he hit three homers and struck out 10 Milwaukee Brewers in his sensational two-way effort throughout a clinching victory within the Nationwide League Championship Collection 10 days in the past.
Ohtani has six hits and 5 RBIs within the first three video games of the World Collection in opposition to Toronto, the town the place followers chanted “We don’t need you!” at Ohtani whereas the Blue Jays gained Recreation 1. Ohtani also homered late in that blowout loss.
Ohtani hit two homers within the Dodgers’ first sport of the postseason in opposition to Cincinnati, however he hadn’t homered once more till his historic efficiency within the NLCS. All three of these homers have been solo photographs, and he hit a pair of solo homers in Recreation 3.
He first related for a 389-foot drive contained in the right-field pole within the third inning.
After struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen allowed the Blue Jays to return forward 5-4 within the seventh, Ohtani tied it with a 401-foot homer to left-center.
Ohtani now trails solely Arozarena, who set the key league report with 10 postseason homers in 2020 earlier than Tampa Bay misplaced the World Collection to Seager and the Dodgers.
Ohtani doubled on Scherzer’s second pitch of Recreation 3, though his teammates couldn’t carry him residence.
Ohtani keyed a tying rally when he doubled to left-center within the fifth, muscling an inside sweeper from Fluharty into the hole for his first opposite-field hit since Sept. 20, a span of 77 at-bats.
Following that double, Ohtani scored the tying run on Freddie Freeman’s single.
The Blue Jays pulled Scherzer proper earlier than Ohtani got here up and changed the veteran right-hander with Fluharty, who memorably struck out Ohtani with the bases loaded whereas escaping an enormous jam to safe a 5-4 win for Toronto at Dodger Stadium in August.
Ohtani rapidly tried to steal second after being walked within the ninth, however he was tagged out when he popped up and got here off the bottom for an instantaneous.
Ohtani superior to second on Mookie Betts’ two-out single within the eleventh, though he pulled up gingerly on the bag as a result of cramping. He stayed within the sport, nonetheless, and Freeman flied out to finish the inning.
With Tommy Edman on third base within the thirteenth, the Jays deliberately walked each Ohtani and Betts to load the bases with two outs. Freeman, who ended Recreation 1 of final yr’s World Collection with a grand slam, hit a 379-foot flyout to the warning observe in middle.
Ohtani’s Seventeenth-inning stroll put two Dodgers on base with two outs, however Betts popped out to go 1 for 8.
