Freddie Freeman dug into the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the 18th inning of Game 3 with one hit and two walks in his previous eight trips to the plate.
In this World Series, he had just two hits in 12 at-bats (.167) and was hitting just .216 over 13 games this postseason.
But none of that mattered when Freeman sent a 3-2 slider from Blue Jays reliever Brendon Little deep into the Chavez Ravine night and over the center field wall to end the second-longest game in World Series history and give the Dodgers a thrilling 6-5 victory.
‘My swings were getting better as the game was going on. I thought I had a couple hits in, I don’t know, 21 innings ago,’ Freeman said with only a slight exaggeration. ‘It just felt like my swing was getting better and better.’
Fortunately for Freeman, he could rely on muscle memory – having been in a similar situation in the Fall Classic just last year.
In a classic Hollywood moment, Freeman hobbled to the plate on a badly sprained ankle and hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history to beat the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
Then on Monday night, it was time for an encore.
After Shohei Ohtani’s home run tied the game at 5 in the bottom of the seventh, the two teams played 10 consecutive scoreless innings. The Blue Jays put runners in scoring position in the top of the 18th, but once again were unable to push the go-ahead run across. That provided the perfect setup for Freeman’s game-winning heroics.
‘To have it happen again a year later, to hit another walk-off, it’s kind of amazing, crazy,’ Freeman said. ‘I’m just glad we won and we’re up 2-1..’
Coming through again in the clutch like he did was amazing. Check that. According to OptaSTATS, it was unprecedented.
Freeman is the only player in baseball history (regular or postseason) to hit a walk-off grand slam with his team down to its last out AND to hit a walk-off home run in the 18th inning or later.
And he acomplished both of those feats on the biggest stage of all – the World Series.