In a game that tested the limits of endurance for players, fans, and broadcasters alike, the Los Angeles Dodgers clawed their way to a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, thanks to Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning. The marathon affair, which lasted a staggering 6 hours and 39 minutes, not only gave the Dodgers a 2-1 series lead but also reignited a peculiar baseball superstition: Whenever country music star Brad Paisley belts out “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a World Series game, extra innings are all but guaranteed.
The night started innocently enough at Dodger Stadium, with a capacity crowd of 52,654 buzzing under the cool California evening sky. JP Saxe joined Paisley on the field for a bilingual rendition of the anthems—Saxe handling “O Canada” and Paisley delivering a soulful, guitar-accompanied version of the U.S. classic that had the stands swaying in patriotic fervor. Little did anyone know, Paisley’s performance was the harbinger of chaos to come.
The early innings unfolded like a classic World Series chess match. Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow, looking to build on his team’s momentum from a 2-0 series deficit, mowed down Blue Jays hitters with a mix of high-90s heat and devastating sliders. Toronto’s Kevin Gausman matched him stride for stride, stranding runners in scoring position and keeping the scoreboard mercifully blank through five frames.
But baseball, as it so often does, had other plans. The Blue Jays struck first in the sixth, capitalizing on a rare Glasnow misfire when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. laced a two-run homer to left-center, putting Toronto up 2-0. The Dodgers answered in the bottom half, with Freeman—fresh off a monster postseason—drilling a solo shot off Gausman to cut the lead in half. By the ninth, the game was tied at 3-3 after a seesaw of small ball, errors, and timely hits, including a clutch RBI single from Mookie Betts.
What followed was pure pandemonium. Relievers from both bullpens—19 in total—took the mound over the next eight frames, throwing a combined 576 pitches in a display of grit that evoked memories of the longest games in postseason lore. Wild plays abounded: A controversial fan interference call in the 12th that saved a Blue Jays run, a phantom tag-up challenge in the 15th that went against Toronto, and a near-miss collision at home plate in the top of the 10th that left Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk sprawled in the dirt. The Dodgers’ pen, led by Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen, bent but never broke, while Toronto’s arms faltered just enough.
Finally, in the 18th, with the clock ticking past 3 a.m. ET and fans nursing coffee-fueled delirium, Freeman stepped to the plate against lefty Brendon Little. On a 2-1 count, he unleashed a 412-foot blast to right field, igniting a dogpile at home plate and sending Dodger Stadium into hysterics. It was Freeman’s third homer of the series—and his second walk-off. As fireworks lit the sky, the question on every exhausted observer’s mind wasn’t just “How did they pull that off?” but “Brad Paisley strikes again.”
If you’re a die-hard baseball fan, you’ve heard the whispers. If you’re Brad Paisley, you might be wondering if it’s time to hang up the microphone for October games. The country crooner, a self-proclaimed “huge baseball nerd” with a collection of vintage mitts and a lifelong love for the diamond, has now sung the National Anthem before four World Series contests—all of which have spilled into extras. And two of those? They’ve gone a combined 36 innings.
Let’s break down the “Paisley Curse” (or blessing, depending on your team’s colors):
| Year | Game | Teams | Innings | Outcome | Notable Moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Game 2 | Astros vs. Dodgers | 11 | Astros win 7-1 | Jose Altuve’s go-ahead homer in the 11th after a scoreless tie. |
| 2018 | Game 3 | Red Sox vs. Dodgers | 18 | Red Sox win 9-6 | An all-time marathon; Max Muncy’s walk-off homer ends it at 12:30 a.m. ET. |
| 2022 | Game 4 | Phillies vs. Astros | 10 | Astros win 5-0 | Combined no-hitter through nine before extras; swept the series. |
| 2025 | Game 3 | Blue Jays vs. Dodgers | 18 | Dodgers win 6-5 | Freeman’s dawn-breaking dinger caps 576 pitches and wild drama. |
That’s a perfect 4-for-4 record on extra innings, with an average length of 14.25 frames per game. Shockingly, Paisley’s two 18-inning epics represent both of the longest games in World Series history—events so rare they occurred only once each before last night. The Dodgers, now 3-1 in these Paisley-fueled affairs, might want to book him for Game 7 if things get tight.
Paisley himself leaned into the lore post-game, tweeting a photo of his guitar with the caption: “Guess I need to start charging extra for the overtime.” Fans on social media erupted with memes, from Photoshopped images of Paisley as a voodoo doll to statistical deep dives calling it “the most unbreakable streak in sports.”
With the Dodgers holding home-field advantage and Freeman channeling MVP-level magic, the Blue Jays face an elimination Game 4 tonight. Toronto manager John Schneider, whose bullpen was torched for five runs in extras, vowed adjustments: “We’re bringing heat—literal and figurative.” But if Paisley isn’t on the schedule, Jays fans might breathe easier. Dodgers supporters? They’ll cross their fingers he dusts off the six-string again.
In a sport where superstitions reign supreme—from lucky socks to ritualistic pine tar rubs—the Brad Paisley Anthem has etched itself into World Series folklore. Last night’s epic wasn’t just a win; it was a reminder that sometimes, the stars align in the unlikeliest ways—on the field, in the booth, and under the lights of Dodger Stadium. Play ball… or should we say, play long ball?
