usatoday
When it comes to enduring the longest games in World Series annals, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been central figures. The franchise has been involved in both of the lengthiest Fall Classic contests ever played—each an 18-inning affair that spanned into the early morning hours and culminated in a walk-off home run. The first occurred in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series, and the second unfolded in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series.
Max Muncy provided the heroics in 2018, launching a homer at Dodger Stadium to end the marathon. Seven years later, Freddie Freeman sent the hometown crowd into a frenzy with a walk-off blast in the bottom of the 18th inning, sealing another 18-inning classic.
Before the 2018 marathon, the record for the longest World Series game stood at 14 innings—a mark that had been reached three separate times. Those instances came in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series, Game 3 of the 2005 World Series, and Game 2 of the 1916 World Series.
Key Analysis
While Major League Baseball has implemented a rule change in the regular season that places a runner on second base to start extra innings, that format does not apply to the playoffs or the World Series. As a result, October baseball can still produce the kind of extended drama that the Dodgers have now bookended with two unforgettable 18-inning walk-off victories.
- 18 innings: 2018 World Series, Game 3
- 18 innings: 2025 World Series, Game 3
- 14 innings: 2015 World Series, Game 1
- 14 innings: 2005 World Series, Game 3
- 14 innings: 1916 World Series, Game 2
Originally reported by usatoday.