Brad Paisley's National Anthem Performance May Have Jinxed Dodgers-Blue Jays Game 3

A pregame performance from the country singer is officially a harbinger of extra innings.
At this point, a Paisley-performed anthem during the World Series almost guarantees extra innings.
At this point, a Paisley-performed anthem during the World Series almost guarantees extra innings. / Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

If we had a nickel for every time country singer Brad Paisley sang the anthem at a World Series game that went to 18 innings, we'd have two nickels—which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

After Monday's marathon of a Game 3 between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, Paisley has now performed "The Star Spangled Banner" ahead of both of the longest games in World Series history: last night's thriller, and another 18-inning Game 3 in 2018.

Crazier yet, it was also the fourth time overall that a playoff game at Dodger Stadium opened with a performance from Paisley and ended in extra innings. In addition to the two contests mentioned above, the singer and avid Dodgers fan also performed at an 11-inning World Series Game 2 in 2017, and a 10-inning Game 1 in 2024, per MLB.com's Theo DeRosa.

Safe to say this is now a pattern. So next time Paisley walks up to the mic during a World Series, prepare to stay up past your bedtime. Shoutout to L.A.'s Freddie Freeman, who finally ended things in the bottom of the 18th with a walk-off home run for a 6-5 Dodgers win.

Game 4 will begin Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. L.A. leads the series 2-1.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.