The Los Angeles Angels have won a completely crazy game 3 after an epic battle with 3:2 against the Boston Red Sox. The game was the longest in the history of the World Series and was decided by a Walk-Off-Homerun from Max Muncy. Previously, two pitcher outperformed.
Walker Buehler was given the task to bring the Dodgers back into the series after trailing 0-2. And it began impressively. The rookie collected two strikeouts against the top 3 of the Sox Batting-Order and only allowed the first hit in the third inning – an infield single by Jackie Bradley Jr.
But Bradley didn’t stay on base for too long, but ran to his doom himself: He apparently started much too early in a planned hit-and-run and was then spotted by pick-off from Buehler to Manny Machado on second base. Statistically, it was a steal attempt.
Afterwards Christian Vazquez managed a single and he advanced to second base with a Sacrifice Bunt by Pitcher Rick Porcello. But he stayed there, because Mookie Betts only had one fly out into the Center Field.
Porcello, on the other hand, did not allow a hit in the first two innings, but with two outs in the third, the right-hander made his only mistake of the game: He threw a first-pitch-changeup right in the middle of the zone against Joc Pederson, who started from the bench in the first two games. Pederson didn’t burn for long and hammered the pitch over the wall in the right field to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers again had little success against Porcello. Only one double directly after the home run by Turner was booked until the fifth inning. Then again Yasmani Grandal beat a lead-off single. Porcello (4 2/3 IP, 3 H, ER, 5 K) still constituted the following two batteries and was finally replaced by Pederson in view of the impending danger. He was replaced by Eduardo Rodriguez, who neutralized the threat.
Buehler, on the other hand, continued to dominate cheerfully. Strictly speaking, the third inning was his only weaker one – that is, it was the only one in which he allowed hits or any base runner. Until the end of the seventh inning, Buehler then played 14 Red Sox in a row and handed over the 1-0 lead for the eighth inning to Closer Kenley Jansen.
He made the first two outs in the eighth inning, but then made a serious mistake: On a 2-0 count against Bradley, he threw a cutter that had no break and went over the plate in the middle. JBJ did not allow himself to be asked twice and hit a home run that flew 394 feet to the tribune in right field. Compensation Boston!
It stayed that way until the end of the ninth inning, after the Dodgers stranded two men on base. Previously, Bellinger ran himself out of the inning after a lead-off single because, like Bradley, he started much too early against Grandal on a 3-2 count and was caught in a run-down. So it ended up in extra innings.
The tenth inning then began directly dramatic. The Red Sox brought runners to the corners with only one out. Against Pedro Baez Eduardo Nunez hit the plate and finally hit a fly ball into the center field. Bellinger caught the ball and fired it towards Home Plate, where Catcher Austin Barnes, who had just come in as a pinch runner for Grandal, made up for pinch runner Ian Kinsler (came in for Martinez). Double play, 1 to 1!
In the 13th inning Brock Holt managed a lead-off walk for Boston against Scott Alexander and stole second base. Then Nunez hit a single and because Alexander then spoiled the ball and threw it past Hernandez, who covered the first base, Holt came home. 2-1 Boston! The Dodgers hadn’t been beaten yet. For their part, they brought the lead-off man on base through Muncy’s walks.
Afterwards Machado hit a Fly Out and Bellinger a Popup into the left Foul Territory. Nunez followed, caught the ball and crashed into the front row of the stands. Muncy took advantage of that and moved up to second base. The next hitter was Puig, who hit a ground ball to Second Baseman Ian Kinsler. He slipped away and threw the ball past the catcher Christian Vazquez, who had meanwhile become a First Baseman. Puig was safe and – much more important – Muncy scored the 2:2 equalization. So it was the 14th, and then the 15th.
In the same Kenta Maeda left the first two men on base, before he then after a ground ball aggressively threw to third base for the first out. Strikeouts against Sandy Leon and Betts followed. So or so it went on until the 18th Inning. Until Max Muncy hammered a 3-2 pitch from Nathan Eovaldi, who showed an incredible performance (6+ innings), over the fence in the left center field. Walk-Off-Homerun, 3-2 Dodgers!
The Red Sox bet on Nathan Eovaldi from the twelfth inning on, who would have been the most likely starter for match 4 until then (Sunday, 2.09 a.m. live on DAZN). Now there is only left-handed Drew Pomeranz available, who has not been active since September. For the Dodgers again Lefty Rich Hill will go to the start.
Yeah, the Dodgers lost the game. But no, no one really stood out at the Red Sox – the victory showed again their intransigence, but in the end there was also a lot of luck. Outstanding in this game was actually only one: Rookie-Pitcher Walker Buehler! In his first World Series start, he dismantled the best offense of the league at will. Buehler pitched seven shutout innings and gave away two hits, but also managed seven strikeouts. Remarkable: Against one of the most dangerous teams against Fastballs, which are at least 95 miles per hour fast, Buehler dominated especially with his Four-Seamer! Six of his seven strikeouts came with this pitch, which was fast in situations ranging from 97 to 99 MPH. He got the rest of the “K” with a 94-MPH cutter.
Also great: Nathan Eovaldi, who threw incredible 6+ innings (97 pitches, ER) after having pitched one inning each in the first two games.
The shortstop didn’t exactly have an ideal evening. He was 1-7 on the plate and always presented himself too aggressive, which earned him numerous easy outs in the end. Even his only hit was not unproblematic: He hit a line drive in the sixth inning against the wall in the left field. But instead of sprinting and possibly landing at second base, he preferred to admire his hit, which he thought was already out there, and finally made do with a single. In addition, he had the chance in both the eighth and tenth innings to lead or decide with Runner in scoring position. The results: A strikeout and a popup to the catcher in the Foul Territory.
This article was published without prior review by Major League Baseball.
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