Blue Jays Manager Had One-Word Answer About Walking Shohei Ohtani During World Series

Toronto's strategy against Ohtani seems pretty clear moving forward.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani's performance in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays set a number of records / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

It sure feels like John Schneider is done watching Shohei Ohtani hit baseballs.

On Monday night, the Dodgers beat Schneider's Blue Jays 6–5 in an epic, 18-inning showdown in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series. While Freddie Freeman's walk-off home run won the game for L.A., it was Shohei Ohtani who terrorized Toronto for most of the night.

Ohtani finished the game 4-for-4, with two home runs, two doubles, and five walks. The three-time MVP doubled in the first inning, homered in the third, and doubled in the fifth. He came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh with no outs, the bases empty, and the Dodgers trailing 5-4. Schneider decided against walking the best player on the planet and instead allowed Seranthony Dominguez to pitch to him. Ohtani blasted the first pitch he saw over the left-center field fence for a solo home run that tied the game.

Toronto pitchers faced Ohtani five more times after that home run, and walked him each time. The first four times the walks were intentional, before Brendon Little issued him a four-pitch unintentional pass in the bottom of the 17th.

After the game, Schneider was asked if we should expect him to continue walking Ohtani for the rest of the series and gave a short answer: "Yeah."

"Yeah."

John Schneider on whether we should expect Ohtani intentional walks going forward. pic.twitter.com/CKpGg3w2FU

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 28, 2025

I'd be shocked if Ohtani saw any good pitches for however long the series continues, unless the Blue Jays happen to have a large lead in a game.

Shohei Ohtani's record-breaking night in Game 3

Ohtani's performance in Game 3 broke or tied several MLB records.

He reached base nine times, which is a new MLB postseason mark. The previous high was six. He also tied the all-time record, which only three players had accomplished before. Max Carey reached base nine times in 1922, while Johnny Burnett (1932) and Stan Hack (1942) also accomplished the feat.

Ohtani became the first player with two doubles and two home runs in a postseason game, while also becoming the first player to have five walks in a World Series game. He is also the first player in MLB history to have four hits and five walks in a game, regular season or postseason.

Oh, we're not done.

Before Monday night, only one player had ever been issued an intentional walk with the bases empty in a World Series game. That came when the Rangers walked Albert Pujols during Game 5 of the 2011 World Series. Ohtani was intentionally walked three times with the bases empty in Game 3.

Ohtani became the first player with four extra-base hits in a World Series game since White Sox second baseman Frank Isbell had four doubles against the Cubs in Game 5 of the 1906 Fall Classic.

His historic night will almost certainly change the way the Blue Jays approach him moving forward.

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