Ohtani’s Greatness Forces Blue Jays to Walk the Line in Epic World Series Duel
When a player like Shohei Ohtani steps onto the diamond, it’s almost as if gravity itself shifts toward him. His presence alone alters the rhythm of a game — and in the case of Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays, that gravitational pull became undeniable. What unfolded wasn’t just one of the longest games in World Series history — it was also a testament to Ohtani’s sheer dominance and the lengths opponents must go to in order to contain him.
Through the early innings, Ohtani was electric. He doubled in the first, smashed a home run in the third, added another double in the fifth, and launched a second homer in the seventh to tie the game 5–5. Every swing felt like a seismic event. The Blue Jays quickly realized that pitching to Ohtani wasn’t just risky — it was reckless. After his seventh-inning blast, they decided the only way to stop him was to simply not let him swing again.
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And so, baseball’s most thrilling talent was forced into an unusual kind of stillness. He was intentionally walked four straight times, then walked again on four pitches that barely tested the strike zone. In total, Ohtani reached base nine times — the first player to do that in a game since 1942 — and became the only player in postseason history to be intentionally walked four times in a single game. It was the price of greatness, and the Blue Jays paid it willingly.
Of course, it wasn’t enough. The game stretched deep into the night, all the way to the 18th inning, before Freddie Freeman — another Dodgers MVP — finally ended it with a walk-off homer, sealing the second-longest game in World Series history. The Dodgers walked away victorious, leading the series 2–1, and Ohtani’s legend somehow grew even larger without him taking another swing.
There’s a strange irony in it all. Fans came to see Ohtani hit, yet he was deliberately denied that chance because he was too dangerous. It’s the ultimate compliment and the ultimate frustration rolled into one. Even Jays manager John Schneider admitted afterward that the plan to keep Ohtani from swinging might continue in Game 4. And honestly, who could blame him?
The intentional walk has always been one of baseball’s most begrudged tactics — a move born not from courage, but from necessity. Yet against Ohtani, it feels inevitable. He’s the kind of player who forces strategy to bend around him, who makes opposing teams rethink what’s possible. For Dodgers fans, this game will be remembered for its endurance and Freeman’s dramatic finish. But for baseball as a whole, it was another night where Ohtani’s brilliance turned even the most cautious decisions into history.
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