The Dodgers’ World Series Game 3 Felt Endless – But It Wasn’t Even Close To The Longest Ever MLB Game

Dodgers fans weren’t imagining things – Game 3 of the [2025 World Series](https://secretlosangeles.com/la-dodgers-world-series-2025/) felt endless, and for good reason. The back-and-forth battle at Dodger Stadium stretched into the 18th inning , with Freddie Freeman finally ending it on a dramatic walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 6–5 win over the Blue Jays. And this isn’t the first Game 3 of the World Series played in Dodger Stadium that stretched out a bit longer than expected. Game 3 of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium lasted 18 innings and 7 hours 20 minutes! As hoped, Shohei Ohtani turned in another record-setting performance, homering twice and doubling twice, becoming just the second player ever with four extra-base hits in a World Series game . And in a moment that may define his farewell season, Clayton Kershaw came out of the bullpen in the 12th to break a bases-loaded jam , delivering one of the most emotional outs of his 18-year career. It may have been the very last time he got to take a big league mound, and luckily for us all, it was legendary. But as long as it felt, Monday night’s Game 3 marathon wasn’t anywhere close to the longest in MLB history. The record still belongs to a 26-inning matchup in 1920. Still, for Dodgers fans, it was an unforgettable – and exhausting – night at Dodger Stadium. (And it starts all over again tonight!) Here are the 6 longest games played, by number of innings, in Major League history since 1900: 1. May 1, 1920: Brooklyn Robins 1, Boston Braves 1 Length: 26 innings --------------------------------------------------------------------- The longest game in Major League history lasted 26 innings before officials finally called it due to darkness, ending in a 1–1 tie between the Brooklyn Robins (the predecessors to today’s Dodgers) and the Boston Braves. Incredibly, both starting pitchers, Leon Cadore for Brooklyn and Joe Oeschger for Boston, went the distance, throwing all 26 innings and allowing just one run each. The whole game lasted only three hours and 50 minutes, a stat that feels almost impossible by today’s standards. 2 (Tie). May 8, 1984: Chicago White Sox 7, Milwaukee Brewers 6 Length: 25 innings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the longest game in MLB history in terms of time. It took eight hours and six minutes , and it had to be completed over two full days. 2 (Tie). Sept. 11, 1974: St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 3 Length: 25 innings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The fans who arrived at Shea Stadium on this night had no idea what they were in for: a seven-hour, four-minute battle that stretched until 3:13 a.m. , becoming the longest continuous Major League game by innings to produce a winner. 4 (Tie). April 15, 1968: Houston Astros 1, New York Mets 0 Length: 24 innings ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The six-hour, six-minute game at the Astrodome was unbelievably scoreless until the bottom of the 24th, the longest any Major League game has ever stayed scoreless. In the 20th inning, the scoreboard read: “We hope you are enjoying tonight’s third game as much as you enjoyed the first two.” 4 (Tie). July 21, 1945: Detroit Tigers 1, Philadelphia Athletics 1 Length: 24 innings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before the White Sox and Brewers broke the record decades later, the Tigers and Athletics held the American League’s longest game record. The teams faced off on a Saturday afternoon at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, playing 24 innings in just four hours and 48 minutes, using only two pitchers between them. 4 (Tie). Sept. 1, 1906: Philadelphia Athletics 4, Boston Americans 1 Length: 24 innings --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The A’s finally broke a 0–0 tie in the 24th inning, while both starting pitchers, rookie Jack Coombs and Joe Harris, pitched the entire game, with Coombs allowing just one run and striking out 18. Source: https://secretlosangeles.com/longest-ever-mlb-games/