Max Muncy slammed an 18th-inning walk-off solo home run on Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in a tension-packed marathon that entered the record books as the longest World Series game ever.
After two losses in chilly Boston battling Fenway Park’s quirky features, the Dodgers were back home in warmer, friendlier surroundings trimming the Red Sox lead in the best-of-seven series to 2-1.
However, the Dodgers, chasing their first World Series title in 30 years, needed a record 18 innings and a record seven hours, 20 minutes to avoid being pushed into a 0-3 series hole from which only one team — the 2004 Red Sox in the American League Championship Series — have ever escaped.
Photo: AFP
As Muncy’s towering shot off Boston reliever Nathan Eovaldi sailed into the left field bleachers, the capacity crowd let out a mighty roar, but the Dodgers were to have little time to savor the hard-fought victory with Game 4 set for yesterday.
“I just wanted to have another good at-bat,” said Muncy, who had a pair of hits and scored twice. “I felt really good after the first two at-bats.”
“He pitched the lights out,” Muncy added. “But I was feeling good about my at-bats. He kind of went the same sequence he did the last at-bat, tried to go backdoor cutter.”
Almost lost amid Muncy’s late inning fireworks was a superb performance from Dodgers rookie starter Walker Buehler who pitched a seven-inning gem.
Buehler, who last year watched Game 2 of the World Series between Los Angeles and the Houston Astros from the Dodgers Stadium stands, on Friday had a much different view and was the man in the spotlight tossing seven shutout innings.
Playing in his first World Series game, the 24-year-old delivered a nerveless effort to silence the Boston bats, allowing just two hits — both singles — while striking out seven without a walk.
However, Alex Wood would get credit for pitching a scoreless 18th inning. Eovaldi took the loss working six innings, giving up just three hits and two runs — one earned.
After the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson — in the third — and the Red Sox’s Jackie Bradley Jr. — in the eighth — traded solo home runs, the drama looked set to end in the 13th when Eduardo Nunez chopped a ground ball single back to Scott Alexander, but the Los Angeles pitcher botched the toss to first base, allowing Brock Holt to come across with the go-ahead run.
However, the Dodgers would answer in similarly wild fashion in the bottom of the inning when Yasiel Puig lined a drive to second baseman Ian Kinsler who could not make the throw to first, the error allowing Muncy to score.
Muncy would decide the issue five innings later after both teams had almost emptied their lineups using nine pitchers each.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
RSS