Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday to give his team a 1-0 series lead over the New York Yankees.
Freeman came to the plate after Mookie Betts was walked intentionally to load the bases. And against Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched in weeks, Freeman hit the first pitch he saw into deep right field to win the game.
It marked the culmination of one of the most anticipated MLB games in recent years.
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Los Angeles Dodger’s Freddie Freeman, center, left, celebrates at home plate after hitting the game-winning grand slam against the New York Yankees during the 10th inning in Game 1 of baseball’s World Series, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Both starters, Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Jack Flaherty of the Dodgers, pitched four scoreless innings to start the game. Flaherty plated some baserunners, and Cole had some deep fly balls down the track, but it was all zeroes in the first four frames.
Cole was the first to crack, giving up an RBI on a sac fly to Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who struck out Kike Hernandez to put LA up 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
Then came Giancarlo Stanton. The Yankees veteran, who led MLB’s all-time list in most home runs per at-bat last season, hit his fifth homer of the playoffs. A two-run shot to left field put New York up 2-1 in the sixth.
Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees celebrates his two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning in Game 1 of the baseball World Series, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
From there, both teams’ bullpens kept the bats waiting until Shohei Ohtani came up with a two-out double in the eighth inning. He then advanced to third base when the throw eluded the Yankees.
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So, the Yankees turned to their de-facto closer Luke Weaver to come in for what could be five saves. Weaver, a 31-year-old pitcher suddenly thrust into New York’s closer role before the playoffs, became one of MLB’s biggest stories of the postseason, recording four of five saves and pitching two innings in Game 5. of the ALCS would send the Yankees to the World Series.
But with Ohtani already on third, Weaver gave up a fly ball to Mookie Betts, allowing Ohtani to score and tie the game at two.
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Kiké Hernández (8) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in Game 1 of the baseball World Series, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
In the top of the ninth, a fan caught Gleyber Torres’ fly ball to left center, putting Torres at second on a fan disturbance. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts then chose to intentionally walk Juan Soto to bring Aaron Judge to the plate with two outs.
And Judge, who has struggled in the playoffs thus far, came up empty-handed in what was arguably the biggest at-bat of his career at the time, with a typical appearance.
After that, Weaver returned to the Yankees in the ninth and completed a 1-2-3 inning to send the game to extras.
Jazz Chisholm got on base, stole second, stole third, then came home on Anthony Volpe’s ground ball to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
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Then came the tenth round with Freeman at home.
It was the first World Series game between players in the stable since Oct. 28, 1981, when the Dodgers won 9-2 to clinch the series at Yankee Stadium. It was the first postseason game between them in Los Angeles on October 25 of that year, with the Dodgers winning 2-1, which changed the momentum of that series.
The two teams will meet again at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night in Game 2. The game can be seen on FOX.
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