Game 1 of the World Series lived up to the hype of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees Fall Classic, and Freddie Freeman was the hero.
The Dodgers’ first baseman hit a grand slam in the 10th inning to cap off a dramatic game. The Yankees had a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th, but Freeman led off with a monster 423-foot home run to give his team a 6-3 win and a 1-0 lead in the World Series. .
It was the first major championship in World Series history.
Freeman had been playing hobbled throughout the postseason after injuring his ankle during the final week of the regular season. He didn’t post a single base hit in the NLDS or NLCS, sat out a few games to rest his ankle, then hit a grand slam and a triple on Friday.
The play was very reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s walk-off homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A’s. In both cases, a hit to the first baseman resulted in a game-winning homer. Gibson still resonates throughout Dodgers history, and that too, if the Dodgers can get it done in the next few games.
There was a lot of drama before the Grand Slam as well. The Dodgers scored the first run, but the Yankees responded with a giant homer from Giancarlo Stanton. Both starting pitchers, Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty, had good starts, but Flaherty came out in the losing streak.
Shohei Ohtani led off the tying run in the eighth inning, smashed a double, took third on an error and scored on a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly. The Yankees nearly took the lead in the ninth inning, but a Gleyber Torres fly ball caught by a fan ended up being ruled a double.
In the top of the 10th inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled a bunt for the Yankees to lead off the ground. He singled off Dodgers top reliever Blake Treinen, stole second and third, then scored on an RBI fielder’s choice off Anthony Volpe. It could have been a huge win for the Yankees, but it ended up being history for the Dodgers.
The series continues with Game 2 on Saturday, with Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto and New York’s Carlos Rodon scheduled to start.
Here’s how it went at Yahoo Sports:
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Vin Scully’s call for Kirk Gibson’s 1988 WSG1 match vs. Joe Davis’ call for Freddie Freeman’s grand slam tournament:
High ball flying into right field, it’s gone!
I’m gone! Gibby, meet Freddy! Game one of the World Series!
Vegas absolutely loves the Dodgers’ chances of winning the World Series right now. Losing a good starter to Gerrit Cole will do that, no matter how it ends.
Anyway, the second match is scheduled for 5:08 PM PT on Saturday, with Carlos Rodon and Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start.
So, this game featured Jeffrey Mayer and Kirk Gibson. What more could you want from a Yankees-Dodgers World Series?
Freddie Freeman sprained his ankle in the Dodgers’ penultimate series of the regular season. He clearly struggled in the NLDS and NLCS, missing games and not recording an extra-base hit.
And then he comes back and achieves a hat-trick and a major championship. baseball.
Freddie Freeman wins it. He moves the first pitch from Curtis into the right field stands, and the Dodgers win Game 1 6-3 in a classic.
It will be Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Carlos Rodon in the second match on Saturday.
Dodgers 6, Yankees 3
Coming out of the big slam
Wow, Ohtani swings at the first pitch and sends it into foul territory, where Alex Verdugo runs him in for a second out on an acrobatic play. The Yankees opted to walk Mookie Betts and pitched left-hander Nestor Cortes to face Freddie Freeman, another player returning from injury. That’s some drama.
Tommy Edman puts up another runner with a base hit.
And now: Shohei Ohtani. Two on. One out. Bottom of the tenth. He will face Nestor Cortes, a starting pitcher who has been sidelined for a month with an elbow injury.
That’s why everyone was hyping the 2024 World Championship.
Gavin Lux draws a walk against Jake Cousins, which is big. This means that, barring a double play, the Dodgers will pitch Shohei Ohtani to leadoff.
Yankees 3, Dodgers 2
Anthony Volpe hits a ground ball grounded by Tommy Edman, but no home run. Jazz Chisholm’s legs were now the difference in extra innings.
Chisholm steals third without a pitch from Will Smith. It will be up to the Dodgers now.
Jazz Chisholm singles and then steals second. The Yankees got the go-ahead run in scoring position with one out. Anthony Volpe comes in after the Dodgers trailed 3-0 to Anthony Rizzo and deliberately chooses to walk him.
We haven’t had a World Series opener in extra innings since…
Blake Treinen stays in and gets Giancarlo Stanton on a triple. This would be a very big deal for the Dodgers for the rest of the series.
Luke Weaver pitches a 1-2-3 ninth inning
Enrique Hernandez flies out to left field for the final out of the ninth inning. It looked as though the pop-up might fall for a hit, but a charging Alex Verdugo made a catch to end the frame.
We’re going to the 10th inning!
Max Muncy walks out to second base
Luke Weaver got rid of Max Muncy’s timing by changing it. Muncy got a pass right down the middle but didn’t get much of it when Weaver pulled something out.
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