Well, that was nothing short of unbelievable.

The Dodgers and Blue Jays gave us an instant classic Monday night in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, though it took a long time to get there. After 18 grueling innings, Freddie Freeman sent everyone at Dodger Stadium home happy with a walk-off bomb in the bottom of the 18th inning, giving L.A. a 6–5 win and a 2–1 lead in the series.

Monday night's contest was one of the best World Series games we've seen in years. A back-and-forth affair that saw several huge plays and just as many blunders. And it ended with a classic, walk-off moment that will stand the test of time.

It was the kind of game that reminds us why we love baseball.

Freddie Freeman does it again

Can this guy get any more clutch? Freeman won Game 1 of the 2025 World Series with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, and was back at it again Monday night. He launched a 3–2 pitch from Brendon Little over the center field wall to give the Dodgers an enormous victory and a 2–1 lead in the series.

Freeman hasn't had the best postseason. Before Game 3, he was slashing .222/.340/.400, with a solo homer representing his only RBI in 12 games. But when L.A. needed him the most, he was there, coming up with one of the biggest hits in franchise history. Again.

With all the ink Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts get, it's easy to forget Freeman is a former MVP himself. He's a nine-time All-Star, the 2020 National League MVP and was the MVP of the 2024 World Series. Moments like the one he created Monday night are a reminder that he’ll almost certainly end up in the Hall of Fame.

Eric Lauer and Will Klein were phenomenal

In an 18-inning game, teams need pitchers to step up, and both teams got stellar performances from their bullpens, especially from lesser-known guys.

Blue Jays lefty Eric Lauer entered the game with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning and proceeded to go 4 2/3 shutout innings, while allowing two hits and four walks, and striking out two. He walked a tightrope at times, but threw 68 pitches and battled his way through the Dodgers' powerful lineup several times. In the end, he recorded as many outs as Max Scherzer, who started the game for Toronto. Lauer was phenomenal and kept his team in the game and fighting.

On the other side, Dodgers righty Will Klein was outstanding in just his second postseason appearance. The 25-year-old tossed four shutout innings, allowing one hit, two walks, and striking out four. He was exceptional and kept the Blue Jays' lineup off-balance. He eventually earned the win for his efforts.

Klein's previous high for pitches thrown in an outing this year was 36. He threw 72 on Monday night. He earned a well-deserved day off on Tuesday.

Shohei Ohtani is still unbelievable

There are no words for how good Shohei Ohtani is and how he can completely wreck a game. On Monday night, he was at his absolute best at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two home runs and two doubles. But it gets better.

Ohtani came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with Toronto leading 5–4 with one out and the bases empty. He was already 3-for-3 with a home run and two doubles, yet for some reason the Blue Jays allowed Seranthony Dominguez to attack him. Big mistake. Ohtani launched the first pitch he saw into the left-center field stands to tie the game 5–5, where it stayed for what felt like three days.

That was enough for Blue Jays manager John Schneider, who decided to walk Ohtani in every at-bat after that. Four came via the intentional variety, and one was all but on purpose. Frankly, I'd be shocked if Ohtani sees a decent pitch with first base empty the rest of the series.

The soon-to-be four-time MVP reached base a postseason record nine times in Game 3. We saw a lot of crazy things Monday night, but nothing topped that stat.

John Schneider over-managed the game, and it cost Toronto

The decisions managers make are put under a microscope during extra-inning games, and whether it's fair or not, Schneider is getting that treatment here.

In a piece of bad luck, George Springer exited the game in the seventh inning after suffering an injury. Then, after Bo Bichette hit an RBI single to score Vladimir Guerrero Jr. later that frame, Toronto's manager pulled his second-best hitter, using Isiah Kiner-Falefa to run for him. That move was understandable. The Blue Jays had a 5–4 lead, and Bichette just returned from a knee injury. Kiner-Falefa went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a walk over the next 11 innings. In hindsight, it may not have been the best move, but it was at least understandable. A few others were not.

Addison Barger has been on fire in the postseason, and in the top of the eighth, he reached on a throwing error by Mookie Betts. With the score 5–5, Schneider opted to pull him in favor of the faster Myles Straw. It seemed like a bad idea at the time and is worse in hindsight. Straw wound up stranded on third base, then over the course of the next 10 innings, he went 0-for-4 and looked mostly helpless at the plate, including when he popped out on an attempted bunt in the 12th inning. Toronto missed Barger in those spots.

Schneider's most egregious move came in the top of the 12th after catcher Alejandro Kirk walked to start the inning. He brought in the faster Tyler Heineman to pinch run for his star catcher, then watched as Straw failed to bunt him over. Heineman wound up stranded at third, and the Blue Jays lost one of their best hitters, not to mention one of the best defensive catchers in baseball. In the top of the 18th, Heineman came to the plate with runners on first and second and two outs, and struck out to end the inning. That should have been Kirk.

Straw and Heineman combined to go 0-for-7 with two strikeouts after entering the game. It's a reminder that it's a terrible idea to take out your best bats in a tie game. Schneider simply outsmarted himself by overthinking and over-managing. It cost the Blue Jays.

Losing George Springer is a huge blow for the Blue Jays

George Springer suffered what appeared to be an oblique injury while fouling off a pitch in the seventh inning. The 36-year-old has been enormous for the Blue Jays this season, and if he's out, it is a massive blow to the team's lineup.

Springer turned back the clock in 2025, as he finished the season slashing .309/.339/.593 with 32 home runs, 84 RBIs, 106 runs, a career-best wRC+ of 166 and 5.2 fWAR. He had continued that momentum in the postseason, as he's slashed .246/.323/.571 with four home runs, nine RBIs and a wRC+ of 153.

We don't definitively know if Springer will miss time, but if it is an oblique injury, it could end his season. Losing his bat for the rest of Game 3 hurt Toronto, losing him for the rest of the World Series could be devastating. With Bo Bichette already hobbled, injuries are piling up for the Blue Jays' lineup.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Five Takeaways From the Dodgers' Instant Classic World Series Game 3 Win.