Was Game 3 actually one of the best World Series games played?

Game 3 on Monday night lasted a long, grueling, six hours and 39 minutes, spanning 18 innings which tied the record for the most innings played in the postseason. Yes, the length of two games were played. Yes, the game will never be forgotten by Toronto Blue Jays fans or anyone who tuned in, for that matter. But does that make the game great?

Was it one of the greatest World Series games ever played, or was it riddled with errors, mismanagement, bad umpiring, and poor baseball overall?

Was Game 3 actually one of the best World Series games played?

The answer to that question probably depends on who you're rooting for and if you ended up staying awake until 2:45 AM ET to watch the Freddie Freeman dagger. Between the first pitch and the 406 foot solo shot to center field that finally sent everyone home, a whole lot of bizarre and tough to watch baseball went down.

An 18-inning marathon defined more by chaos than greatness

It started in the second inning, featuring one of the worst umpire calls that you'll ever see. Bo Bichette smoked a leadoff single to put pressure on Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow. When Daulton Varsho drew what looked to be a walk in the following at bat, home plate umpire Mark Wegner called strike two instead of ball four at a pitch several inches above the zone that Varsho needed a tomahawk to get a piece of.

Bichette then started walking to second base but was picked off since the umpire called a late strike, putting one out on the board. The Blue Jays would've had the bases-loaded, with none out if not for this rough call. Instead, they came out emptyhanded.

What also made Game 3’s marathon such a tough watch was the Blue Jays’ struggles with runners in scoring position, going just 2-for-12 including multiple blown chances with the bases loaded, which contributed to the 11 straight innings of scoreless baseball.

Nathan Lukes, for example, swung with bases loaded on a 3-2 count with Vladdy on deck, resulting in yet another goose egg, another costly mistake that didn't help with the enjoyment factor of the game, especially for Blue Jays fans.

The even bigger contributing factor to the lack of hitting, came down to the management decisions from John Schneider, as he pressed several buttons too early.  The pinch run and pinch hit of both Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger clearly neutered the lineup. The offense stagnated as the reliance on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Varsho for homerun power was clear.

On a night where the Dodgers bullpen looked stronger than usual, this was never going to be a recipe for success. Considering they had to cover about 12 innings, the bats truly let them down on a night where the bullpen was great. Eric Lauer especially seemed like the standout arm of the night, going four innings strong while allowing just two hits an no earned runs.

On the topic of coaching mistakes, Carlos Febles, the third base couch, had a couple blunders of his own, something fans rarely saw out of him in the regular season. His biggest miscue of the night came in the 10th inning, when Lukes doubled to right, and Davis Schneider was waved home.

Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman combined on a perfect relay, allowing catcher Will Smith to easily tag Schneider out at the plate with several feet of wiggle room too.

The costly mistake came just a few innings after Daulton Varsho hit a ball off Freeman’s glove, and Tommy Edman recovered it. Isiah Kiner-Falefa tried to take third but was thrown out by Edman, immediately halting the Jays’ go-ahead chance in the ninth.

Back home at Rogers Centre though, fans packed the stadium for the watch party, but as the game dragged deep into the night and into the early morning hours, the crowd slowly thinned out.

Some fans labeled Game 3 on Monday night a “classic”, however it seemed too mistake-filled to enjoy as a Blue Jays fan, or as a fan of good baseball. It was truly the type of game that makes you question if you like the sport. Still, the beauty of baseball is in its short memory, and the Blue Jays were right back on the field 17 hours later looking to even the series.