Blue Jays and Dodgers Tie Record for Longest World Series Game in Epic 18-Inning Marathon
In a stunning display of endurance that tested the limits of two championship-caliber teams, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers made history Monday night, playing deep into the night until their World Series matchup became tied for the longest World Series game ever played.
The contest reached the 18th inning at Dodger Stadium, matching the record set in 2018 when the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox also battled through 18 innings in a game that lasted seven hours and twenty minutes .
“This is officially the second-longest World Series game in history,” announced the Fox broadcast crew as the game stretched past the 14th inning, before the teams ultimately pushed into record-tying territory .
A Game That Refused to End
The monumental struggle began as a back-and-forth offensive battle before transforming into an epic pitcher’s duel that stretched for nearly six hours. The score stood deadlocked at 5-5 from the seventh inning onward, with neither team able to break the tie despite numerous opportunities .
The Dodgers came heartbreakingly close to ending the game in the 14th inning when Will Smith launched a fly ball that traveled 383 feet to deep left-center field, only to be hauled in by Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho at the base of the wall. According to statistical metrics, the hit had an expected batting average of .510, meaning it should have been a hit more often than not .
Toronto faced their own dramatic moment earlier when Teoscar Hernández made a perfect throw from right field to cut down Ty France at home plate, preserving the tie and sending the game into extra innings .
Ohtani’s Historic Performance
While the team struggled to score, Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani put on one of the most remarkable individual performances in World Series history. Ohtani was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and two doubles before the Blue Jays simply stopped pitching to him .
His second homer, a solo shot against Seranthony Domínguez in the bottom of the seventh inning, tied the game at 5-5 and cemented his place in the record books . Ohtani tied Frank Isbell of the 1906 Chicago White Sox for the most extra-base hits in a single World Series game .
As the game progressed into extra innings, Toronto managers employed a cautious strategy, intentionally walking Ohtani in four consecutive plate appearances . This conservative approach set a new postseason record for most intentional walks in a game .
Ohtani’s incredible night also saw him reach base eight times total—another postseason record—with his four hits and four walks . The performance became even more remarkable considering Ohtani was scheduled to start Game 4 as pitcher just hours after this marathon contest concluded .
Bullpens Pushed Beyond Limits
Both teams emptied their bullpens in the historic effort, with the Dodgers using a World Series record 10 pitchers by the 15th inning . The Blue Jays weren’t far behind, utilizing eight pitchers through the same stretch .
The pitching situations grew increasingly desperate as the game progressed. Will Klein became the last available reliever for the Dodgers and was pushed beyond his typical pitch count, throwing 35 pitches through the 16th inning after having exceeded 36 pitches only once all season .
Toronto’s situation became equally dire, with reliever Eric Lauer pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings despite not having thrown more than 50 pitches since August . The Blue Jays eventually turned to Brendon Little, their final available bullpen arm, while having Game 4 starter Shane Bieber warming up in the bullpen .
“The league has used up about 220 of the 290 balls they had prepared for this game and is scrambling to get more ready,” the Fox broadcast reported, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the contest .
Beyond the Record Books
The extraordinary length of the game created surreal scenes throughout the stadium. In the 15th inning, the Dodger Stadium left-field scoreboard malfunctioned and “appeared to have tapped out,” according to reporters on site .
Players displayed their exhaustion in telling ways. Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was spotted eating an apple in the dugout, while broadcasters Buck Martinez and Dan Shulman admitted to snacking on peanuts in the booth as the game passed the six-hour mark .
Even the public address system seemed affected by the marathon, with the stadium announcer mistakenly identifying the wrong Blue Jays pitcher entering the game during the 15th inning .
Home plate umpire Mark Wegner faced perhaps the most demanding task of anyone, calling balls and strikes for 576 pitches over 18 innings—a six-and-a-half-hour ordeal behind the plate .
What Comes Next
The record-tying game represented more than just a statistical anomaly—it had immediate consequences for the remainder of the World Series. Both teams were forced to use pitchers who were scheduled to start upcoming games, potentially altering their strategic options .
The Dodgers were set to start Ohtani in Game 4, while the Blue Jays had planned to give the ball to Shane Bieber . How either ace would perform after such a draining contest—and with both nearly being used in relief—remained uncertain.
This historic contest also carried emotional weight for both franchises. The Blue Jays were playing in their first World Series since 1993, having earned their berth just one week earlier when George Springer launched a dramatic go-ahead, three-run homer in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Seattle Mariners .
The Dodgers, meanwhile, were attempting to become the first team in 25 years to repeat as World Series champions . The series was tied at one game apiece before this historic Game 3, making the outcome crucial for both teams’ championship aspirations .
As the game stretched into the early morning hours on Tuesday, one thing became clear: regardless of the final outcome, this contest had already secured its place in baseball history as one of the most memorable and hard-fought World Series games ever played.