With Ohtani's onslaught, Blue Jays won't abandon walk strategy - ESPN

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