Here are some key takeaways from Dodger Stadium, as L.A. takes a 2-1 lead in the Series, with Game 4 slated for Tuesday night.
The Dodgers’ superstar homered twice and doubled twice in his first four trips to the plate. In the process, he became only the second player with four extra-base hits in a World Series game — joining the White Sox Frank Isbell from 1906.
“After that,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, “you just kind of take the bat out of his hands.”
Sure enough, Toronto walked Ohtani in each of his last five plate appearances, four of them intentional. No player had ever reached base seven times in a postseason game. Ohtani reached nine times.
It was a remarkable night, even by Ohtani’s standards. How can he top it? Stay tuned. He might not get many pitches to hit in Game 4; Schneider indicated as much. But Ohtani is also scheduled to take the mound Tuesday for his first World Series start.
2) The Dodgers’ bullpen seriously stepped up
Much has been made of L.A.’s beleaguered relief corps. But those relievers were outstanding on Monday. In total, nine relief arms combined to work 13 1/3 innings of one-run ball — the most relievers ever used in a World Series game.
It probably helped that the Blue Jays’ fearsome lineup was notably less fearsome with four pinch-runners in it by the end of the night. Still, quite a performance. Will Klein picked up the win with four scoreless innings.
But the biggest out of the night? That belonged to Clayton Kershaw. Heck, it might’ve been the biggest out the likely Hall of Famer has recorded in his 18-year career. Kershaw entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the 12th. He got Nathan Lukes to ground to second base after an eight-pitch battle.
Kershaw will retire after the season. If that was the last time he takes a big league mound — what a way to go out.
3) This game will have ramifications beyond Monday night
Remember, Game 3 was the first of three in three nights — with Games 4 and 5 looming on Tuesday and Wednesday. Five relievers from each team pitched more than one inning.
The Game 4 starters? Toronto’s Shane Bieber retreated to the visitors’ bullpen and briefly started to get loose. Ohtani, meanwhile, just had nine plate appearances in a game that lasted more than six hours — on the night before his first World Series start.
4) So many outs on the bases; nearly all were calculated risks
This was a wild baseball game — especially so on the basepaths. In total, six players were thrown out on the bases. And you know what? Most of those outs were calculated risks — aggressive baserunning that forced the opposing defense to make a play. Both defenses were up to the challenge.
The first was an anomaly. Bo Bichette was picked off after he mistakenly believed that Daulton Varsho had walked. That, ultimately, was a missed (and slightly late) call from plate ump Mark Wegner.
The other five? Give the defense credit. Tommy Edman made two picture-perfect throws (more than making up for an earlier error that led to Alejandro Kirk’s three-run homer).
Kirk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger made excellent throws to catch Dodgers runners on the basepaths as well — including Barger with the fastest-thrown assist that Statcast has tracked in a World Series game.
Some of these decisions are absolutely worth scrutiny. But none were egregious.
5) A Springer injury would be brutal for Toronto
Symbolically, as much as anything else. George Springer is the veteran atop the Blue Jays’ lineup, their most experienced postseason performer. He’s largely the reason they’re here in the first place, having hit the decisive homer in Game 7 of the ALCS.
In the seventh inning on Monday, Springer exited mid-at-bat with what the club called right side discomfort. Springer was sent for an MRI and could be forced to the sidelines for the remainder of the Series.
Perhaps that clears a path for Bichette, who has been hobbled by a left knee sprain, to serve as DH. But it’ll be tough to make up for Springer’s production. He entered Monday with a .931 postseason OPS. It’s probably not a coincidence that Toronto did nearly all of its scoring before Springer was out of the game.
