Jason Anderson never thought he’d be rooting for the Dodgers in the World Series. 

The former New York Yankee and current head coach of Eastern’s baseball team was one of the millions watching on and cheering as Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off home run to centerfield in the bottom of the 18th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the World Series.  

Anderson was ecstatic, not necessarily because the Dodgers won, but because of who the winning pitcher was. 

Forced to bring out the last available pitcher in its bullpen, Los Angeles right-hander and former EIU pitcher Will Klein entered the ballgame facing a tough task. He was asked to pitch to the first three hitters of a Toronto lineup that had been held scoreless for the previous seven innings. 

It was also 5-5 in the 15th inning when he entered from the bullpen.  

“I saw the situation happening,” Anderson said. “It was going to get down to the last guy in the bullpen.” 

Klein got the first two hitters he faced out, before giving up an infield single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.  

That would be the last hit Klein allowed.  

Coming back with a fastball at the knees of Isiah Kiner-Falefa to strike him out, Klein retired the next eight hitters he saw after the hit.  

He sent the Blue Jays down in order through innings 16 and 17 but ran into some traffic in the 18th when Guerrero and Daulton Varsho both drew a walk, and a wild pitch allowed the runners to get to second and third base.  

With the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Klein unleashed an 86-mph curveball that started at the hands of Blue Jays hitter Tyler Heineman but ended belt-high and in the glove of Dodgers catcher Will Smith for the inning-ending strikeout.  

“They [Dodgers fans] will talk about his name forever,” FOX play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said after the strikeout. “It doesn’t matter what he does the rest of his life, the name Will Klein is going to live on.” 

Klein, who spent the majority of the season in triple-A with the Seattle Mariners before coming to the Dodgers in a trade, was one of the last names added to the Los Angeles World Series roster. He threw a career-high 72 pitch outing in extra innings of the World Series in front of over 50,000 screaming fans and millions watching on TV. 

“What I didn’t expect him to do was go out and throw four innings,” Anderson said. “He did a phenomenal job, but to go out and throw four innings, he hasn’t done that a whole lot in his life. He obviously thrived on the big stage.” 

He watched from the dugout as Freeman hit the home run to end it. Freeman postgame said that Klein was the MVP of the game. 

Klein finished with five strikeouts and earned his first career major league postseason win.  

At Eastern, Klein pitched in three seasons from 2018-2020. Going into his final season, he was regarded as the number one prospect out of the Ohio Valley Conference, according to Anderson.  

Klein made the conversion from a catcher in high school to a college pitcher, and by his junior year, his fastball velocity was regularly in the middle to upper 90s and his 33 strikeouts in just over 24 innings and four starts was good for third in the conference.  

When the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Klein ended the season with a 3.33 ERA and was selected in the fifth round of the MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals.  

“I don’t think you could expect anybody to go out in that situation and do what he did,” Anderson said. “But I know he has it in him. I didn’t think he’d get the opportunity to go through four innings in a make-or-break World Series game, but the ability and mindset is definitely there.” 

Anderson said he’s noticed how mature Klein’s become. He said because of the 2020 season being cancelled and his late conversion from catcher to pitcher, Klein didn’t enter the professional ranks with a lot of experience.  

But, Anderson said, Klein’s ability to perform under pressure despite his lack of experience is the message he passes along to Eastern players and potential newcomers every year. 

“Every time I bring in a recruit, I tell them my goal is to do things people don’t think we can do,” Anderson said. “That is the epitome of what can be accomplished in baseball. I don’t think you can top it.” 

Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.