Will Klein, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ right-handed reliever, stepped into an apparently impossible situation and rose to the occasion in what might go down as one of the most unlikely and memorable contributions in postseason history.

 A Horror That Turned Into a Victory

The Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays were engaged in a protracted battle in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series.  Pitching staffs and mental endurance were tested during an 18-inning battle that began as a typical postseason matchup. 

 By the fifteenth inning, the Dodgers had pushed their bullpen toward its breaking point.  The final pitcher left in a bullpen, worn out and depleted, is Will Klein.

The Unexpected Hero

Klein had only played 15 ⅓ innings for the Dodgers during the regular season and was not even on the team’s active roster for the early postseason rounds.   However, he toiled through four scoreless innings on this particular night, striking out five and throwing 72 pitches—a career-high—while giving up just one hit.

When asked about the moment, Klein said:  “We weren’t losing that game … I was going to keep doing that and doing all I could to put up a zero and … go do it again.” 

Why This Matters

Klein’s four-inning performance was crucial to the Dodgers’ victory, allowing the offense to deliver a walk-off home run by Freddie Freeman and a historic offensive explosion by Shohei Ohtani. According to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “Tonight was Will Klein’s night.”

Background: From Obscurity to Spotlight

Klein’s journey to this point had been anything but smooth.  Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2020, he was traded several times, designated for assignment, and struggled to find stability.   

When the Dodgers acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in June 2025, he had modest numbers at best.   However, he arrived in Los Angeles prepared.  In his limited appearances, he had a 2.35 ERA, which was enough to earn him a spot on the World Series roster.  

And when the time came, he did not just stand there; he delivered.

The Takeaway: Depth Wins Championships

The makeup of championship-calibre teams has long included the expected stars and marquee names.  However, one of the takeaways from this game is clear: when the big moments arrive, you need the depth behind the stars.  Klein is a perfect example of this.

In a bullpen tag-team exhausted from the marathon, one man volunteered — metaphorically and literally — to hold down the fort.  He held it brilliantly.

 For fans, it’s a reminder to look beyond the headlines.  The story isn’t always limited to household names.  Sometimes the guy who wasn’t supposed to be on the big stage steals the show.

Final Word

Game 3 will be remembered for many moments — for the length of the contest, for Ohtani’s heroics, for Freeman’s walk-off, for the pitch-count record. But it should also be remembered for Will Klein, standing alone on the mound through the horror show, through the innings no one expected him to pitch, and emerging victorious. 

In the end, the Dodgers didn’t just win the inning — they won the series moment. And Klein was the bridge that brought them there.