Blue Jays plan to keep walking red-hot Ohtani

LOS ANGELES -- The plan for the Blue Jays coming into Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night wasn't to walk Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, but by the end of their 18-inning marathon loss, it became their identity.

Ohtani was on base a record nine times, including by intentional walk in four consecutive plate appearances, starting in the ninth inning. A fifth walk -- in the 17th -- was a four-pitch unintentional one, but for all practical purposes, the Blue Jays gave him first base, then, too.

"It's not the easiest thing in the world to just walk him and face Mookie [Betts] and Freddie [Freeman]," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the 6-5 loss. "You got to really execute at a high level against him. I think the first couple games we did.

"I think that we executed pretty well, minus today. He's a great player and took some really good swings today."

The new strategy came about after Ohtani went 4-for-4 in the early innings, hitting two doubles and two home runs, including a game-tying blast in the seventh. That's when Schneider changed tactics -- after a failed attempt to pitch around him in a one-run game.

"You trust [reliever] Seranthony [Dominguez] to make pitches to do that," Schneider said. "Sometimes for pitchers it's hard to do that when you're kind of trying to throw a ball and he didn't put it where you want to put it.

"[Ohtani] had a great game, he's great player, but I think after that, you just kind of take the bat out of his hands."

Schneider was asked if the strategy to walk him will extend to the rest of the series.

"Yeah," he responded.

The walks didn't come back to haunt the Blue Jays. Their relief staff pitched brilliantly around the traffic, but a Freeman walk-off homer in the 18th ended the drama-filled game, which will force Toronto to regroup quickly. The focus will be not allowing the heartbreaking Game 3 loss to bleed into Game 4.

"We lost two in a row to Seattle [in the ALCS]," infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. "That sucked. We got embarrassed two games in a row. We got beat bad, went to Seattle and won two in a row. We've been in this situation before; we seem to overcome it. Down 2-1 isn't as bad as being down 2-0. It's just another thing we have to overcome."

Schneider said he isn't worried about his team hanging their collective heads. He believes they'll be ready for Tuesday -- though the status of veteran George Springer is uncertain after he left Game 3 with discomfort on his right side.

"They were in the right mindset and the right headspace the entire time," Schneider said. "It sucks that it's late right now, we got to come back and do it again tomorrow, but these guys are going to be more than ready.

"The Dodgers didn't win the World Series today -- they won a game."

That was the mindset that permeated the clubhouse afterward, knowing that the Dodgers still need two more wins to secure the championship. Game 3 wasn't a back breaker, even if it felt like it in the moment.

"It tests your mental toughness for sure," third baseman Ernie Clement said.

Clement went 1-for-8 as the Jays set a record for players used in a World Series game. Only pitchers Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber didn't get into the contest. Bieber -- the Game 4 starter -- was next up in Game 3, if it continued.

"Almost everyone is going to be ready tomorrow," reliever Eric Lauer said. "It's the World Series. No one wants to miss an inning. No one wants to be done. Do what you can to be ready tomorrow and be ready to go."

Lauer pitched 4⅔ scoreless innings in extras, where any mistake could end the night. Eventually, one did, a 3-2 sinker to Freeman by lefty Brendon Little. He was in his second inning of work.

"Going back out, the sinker seemed a little bit flatter," Little said. "I didn't want to walk anyone. I tried to fill up the zone there on the full count ... He did a good job laying off two cutters away. I had to go back at him with the sinker and he put a great swing on it."

Both Lauer and Little were on the mound in extra innings for Ohtani's walks. It might not be the last time they issue a free pass to a player putting on yet another historic performance on the big stage.

"There's a reason he gets walked intentionally, walked in big situations like that," Lauer said. "It's an all-time performance by him."