An old James Bond novel quote offers insight into the concept of patterns: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.”
But what about four times?
After Monday night’s marathon World Series Game 3 (which technically ended early Tuesday morning in most parts of the United States), it seems fair to ask such a question about an unusual correlation: Brad Paisley’s national anthems and lengthy Los Angeles Dodgers World Series games.
Before the first pitch of Game 3, the country music star (and noted Dodgers fan) sang the traditional pregame national anthem. The ensuing contest proceeded to last over six hours, a World Series record-tying 18 innings.
There were many eye-catching statistics from the record matchup, including Los Angeles and the Toronto Blue Jays combining to throw 609 total pitches. But perhaps the most unusual had nothing to do with the on-field play.
Game 3 wasn’t the first time a Fall Classic game preceded by a Paisley national anthem stretched to remarkable lengths. The game marked the fourth time that a World Series game following Paisley singing the anthem went into extra innings.
Brad Paisley has officially sung the national anthem for:
World Series Game 2 in 2017 (11 innings)
World Series Game 3 in 2018 (18 innings)
World Series Game 1 in 2024 (10 innings)
World Series Game 3 in 2025 (18 innings)h/t @SarahWexler32 pic.twitter.com/cgaSEVcdSq
— MLB (@MLB) October 28, 2025
Coincidentally, Paisley also sung the anthem before the only other 18-inning World Series game in league history, Game 3 of the 2018 Fall Classic, which also ended in a walk-off home run by Los Angeles.
The Dodgers are now 3-1 in the extra-inning games that have been opened by a Paisley national anthem.
Paisley isn’t set to sing the anthem before another game this fall, so it will take at least a year before the superstitious baseball-watching world discovers if a fifth extra-inning thriller might be in the cards. But with a pattern now firmly established, one thing is certain — the next time Paisley does take the microphone to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a World Series game, fans should be ready to settle in for a long night.
