What had already been an improbable season for Max Muncy added another layer to it early Saturday morning when he ended Game 3 of the World Series with a walk-off home run in the 18th inning off Boston Red Sox reliever Nathan Eovaldi.
It came three innings after Muncy nearly took Eovaldi deep down the right-field line. While his drive hooked just foul, the at-bat resonated with Muncy.
“He had got me on a really good backdoor cutter,” Muncy recalled. “He had really good stuff all night long and he wasn’t missing a spot. Next at-bat he tried to go backdoor cutter again, but he left this one a little over the plate, and thankfully for me he did that, because I was able to get my bat to it.”
The home run was Muncy’s third of the postseason and 38th overall in 2018. His latest blast ended the longest game (time and innings) in World Series history. “This was a gut-wrenching game for both sides. This is one of those games that whoever came out on top is going to have a lot of momentum going into [Game 4],” Muncy said.
“This was an extremely long game, 18 innings. A lot of pitchers were used. Every position player was used. Injuries on both sides. Their guys are banged up, our guys are banged up. It’s one of those things when you’re able to come out on top from a game like this, you have to feel it gives you a little momentum going to the next one.”
As for his improbable run from fringe player who struggled to stick in the Majors to being integral to the Dodgers’ success, Muncy had difficulty expressing what the experience has been like.
“It’s been a dream. This whole year has been a surreal experience that it’s hard to put into words,” he said. “But just getting a chance to play in the World Series has kind of capped it off.
“And then getting a chance to hit a walk-off home run, obviously there’s not many words I can use to describe that. The feeling was just pure joy and incredible excitement. That’s about all I can think of because it’s hard to describe how good a feeling it is.”
