Freeman hits 1st walk-off slam in World Series history as Dodgers top Yankees 6-3 in classic opener

 

[October 26, 2024]  By BETH HARRIS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A nail-biter all night with a Hollywood ending.

Game 1 of Yankees-Dodgers certainly delivered.

Freddie Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a drama-filled opener Friday.

“Might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts marveled.

Hobbled by a badly sprained right ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw — a 92 mph inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.

“I cannot believe what just happened,” Roberts said. “That’s what makes the Fall Classic a classic, right, because the stars come out and superstars make big plays, get big hits, in the biggest of moments. ... I’m speechless right now.”

It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson's stunning homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium — one of the most famous swings in baseball lore.

Gibson, sidelined by leg injuries, came off the bench and connected against Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley.

“I played the whole game, though,” Freeman said with a smile.

Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his bum ankle, didn't have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple in the first inning Friday.

“Actually felt pretty good,” said Freeman, who will donate his game spikes to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. “The last six days we treated it really well. I’ve been feeling pretty good. Right when I ran out to give high-fives to my teammates, I felt pretty good, because that was the first time I ran all week. So, ankle’s good.”

After the home run, Freeman ran over to his father.

“I was just screaming in his face. I’m sorry, dad,” Freeman said, laughing. “He’s been there since I was a little boy, throwing batting practice to me every day. So this is a moment, it’s my dad’s moment.”

Giancarlo Stanton launched a two-run homer for New York in this much-hyped, star-studded matchup between two of baseball's most storied and successful franchises — the third straight World Series opener to go extra innings.

“You can’t sit here and mope. You can’t sit here and complain. You can’t shoulda, coulda, woulda,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “It’s time to go to work. We lost this game. Learn from it. See where we can improve and go out there and win the next one.”

In the top of the 10th, Anthony Volpe grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after he stole two bases, to give New York a 3-2 lead.

The speedy Chisholm singled off winning pitcher Blake Treinen and then stole second. Following an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm swiped third base uncontested as Treinen was slow to the plate with Max Muncy playing deep at third.

Tommy Edman made a diving stop to his left on Volpe's grounder, but couldn’t get it out of his glove initially. He tossed to second to get Rizzo out as Chisholm came flying home with the go-ahead run.

But the Dodgers weren’t done.

Gavin Lux walked against losing pitcher Jake Cousins with one out in the bottom of the 10th and went to second on Edman’s infield single to second. Defensive replacement Oswaldo Cabrera knocked down the ball with his glove but it leaked into the outfield.

That brought up star slugger Shohei Ohtani, a left-handed hitter. Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to his bullpen again for Cortes, a lefty starter who hadn't pitched since Sept. 18 because of an elbow injury.

After missing the AL playoffs, Cortes was added to the World Series roster Friday.

“I ran into the (batting) cage and I told the guys in the cage, this game should have been the first baseball game ever on pay-per view," Dodgers center fielder Kiké Hernández said.

Left fielder Alex Verdugo made a running catch in foul territory to retire Ohtani on Cortes' first pitch. Verdugo's momentum sent him tumbling over the low retaining wall, advancing both runners one base because by rule it became a dead ball when Verdugo wound up in the stands.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman connects for a walk-off grand slam home run during the 10th inning in Game 1 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

With first base open, New York intentionally walked Mookie Betts to load the bases and set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup of Cortes against Freeman.

“I was on time for the heater,” Freeman said.

His drive into the right-field pavilion sent Dodgers fans into a frenzy. It was the third walk-off homer in World Series history for a team that was trailing, following Gibson's shot and Joe Carter's drive for the Toronto Blue Jays that won the 1993 World Series against Philadelphia.

Nelson Cruz hit the only other game-ending grand slam in postseason history, for Texas in the 2011 American League Championship Series against Detroit.

“That’s stuff, you’re 5 years old in the backyard right there,” Freeman said. “That’s a dream come true, but it’s only one. We've got three more.”

This is the 12th time the Yankees and Dodgers are meeting in the World Series, the most frequent matchup in major league annals, but their previous October clash was 43 years ago.

While the Dodgers are seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Yankees are in the Fall Classic for the first time since winning No. 27 in 2009.

The first Series with a pair of 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54) opened quietly as Gerrit Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner, and Jack Flaherty dueled through four scoreless innings. Judge struck out swinging in his first three at-bats before hitting a single off Brusdar Graterol with two outs in the seventh.

Ohtani was 0 for 3 before ripping a double off the right-field wall in the eighth. He raced to third on the play when second baseman Gleyber Torres mishandled Juan Soto’s throw, which became costly when Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly by Betts that tied it 2-all.

With two outs in the ninth, Torres sent a long drive to left-center. A fan wearing a Dodgers jersey reached over the wall and caught the ball. Umpires ruled fan interference and gave Torres a double, a call confirmed on video replay. The fan immediately left the area.

Soto was intentionally walked before Judge popped out against Treinen to end the inning.

The Dodgers broke through for a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Hernández tripled past Soto in right field and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.

The Yankees answered right back in the sixth. Soto singled leading off before Judge struck out swinging for the third time. Stanton followed with a 412-foot shot to left off Flaherty for his 17th career postseason homer. Stanton grew up in the nearby San Fernando Valley, not far from Flaherty’s hometown of Burbank.

Stanton, the ALCS MVP, connected on a knuckle-curve that hung slightly at the bottom of the strike zone. His sixth homer in 11 games this postseason came off his bat at 116.6 mph.

After last weekend’s pennant-clinching win at Cleveland, Stanton said, “This ain’t the trophy I want. I want the next one.”

The Yankees then loaded the bases. Chisholm singled off Anthony Banda and stole second. After Rizzo struck out, Volpe was intentionally walked. Austin Wells reached on an infield single that Edman smothered with a dive to save a run before Verdugo struck out swinging against his former team.

Fernando Valenzuela, the 1981 NL Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year who died earlier this week at age 63, was honored with a moment of silence before the game.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, with Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón pitching against $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Rodón is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three starts this postseason, with 22 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings. Yamamoto is 1-0 in three postseason starts with a 5.11 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

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