It doesn't get much more exciting than a walk-off home run in the World Series, but the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers found a way. When Max Muncy lifted a pitch over the wall in left field, it capped off an incredible 7 hour and 20 minute game, the longest in World Series history.
The 18-inning game dragged on past midnight on the West Coast, shattering the previous record for longest Series game by four innings. All but 4 of the 50 players in the ballpark took the field at some point. As you might expect, with the night dragging on and everyone getting a few swats in, the game also broke the record for strikeouts with 34.
After his game-winner, Muncy said that it only got harder as the game went on.
"We've been fighting for our lives since April, and we got to it here tonight," Muncy said, per ESPN. "Really long game, talk about a good pitcher over there [in Eovaldi]. He was doing just about anything he wanted with the ball, and on top of that he was throwing 101 mph. Hats off to him for that game he pitched. But for us to be able to get this, you got to feel like it gives us momentum going into tomorrow."
The Dodgers were in desperate need of a little spark. The 3-2 win kept them from going down 3-0 to the Red Sox, a deficit no team has ever overcome in World Series history. Though the Dodgers were relieved to come away with the win and finally get off the field, there's very little time to rest. They play again tonight at Dodger Stadium.
