Freddie Freeman could barely run Friday. There was no need for that.
Freeman, who was on and off for the Los Angeles Dodgers throughout October due to an ankle injury, ended Game 1 of the World Series with a grand slam in the 10th inning against New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortez Jr. .
The Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts ahead of left-handed hitter Freeman, leaving left-handed Cortez on the mound.
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This left Freeman with the bases loaded and his home run giving the Dodgers a 6-3 victory.
Thus, the Dodgers took the lead in the World Series, the first meeting in 43 years between two of baseball’s oldest teams.
In the 10th inning, the Yankees were leading 3-2 when Gavin Lux walked and Tommy Edman singled, with one out and men on first and second base. Edman was the last of the three batters right-handed Jake Cousins faced, yielding to Cortez with left-handed slugger Shohei Ohtani in reserve.
Ohtani saw Cortez’s pitch and slid into the left field seats, where Alex Verdugo made a great catch over the short fence.
Freeman had two hits in five at bats with a triple and a home run.
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For a moment, it looked like the Yankees would end Game 1 in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Gleyber Torres soared a fly ball 383 feet toward left field, but it went over the fence and into the glove of a Dodgers fan. Although it was ruled a double due to fan interference, the Yankees were unable to score, and the game went into the 10th inning tied at 2-2.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. worked hard to get the run back with his legs.
In the top of the 10th inning, Chisholm singled against Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen with one out, stealing second and third base and placing him 90 feet from home plate.
Chisholm scored from third base when Anthony Volpe’s ground ball was too hot for Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman to get out of his glove in time for a double play.
The Dodgers scored the first runs of the game in the fifth inning on a triple by Quique Hernandez followed by a sacrifice fly by Will Smith. It was the only run allowed by Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole in six innings pitched.
Giancarlo Stanton gave the Yankees a 2–1 lead on a two-run homer off Los Angeles right-hander Jack Flaherty in the top of the sixth inning. The Dodgers got one run back in the eighth inning with Shohei Ohtani’s double, advanced to third base on an error, and scored on Betts’ sacrifice fly.
In the end, it was Freeman who played the main character. Although he was removed from the Dodgers’ lineup for Games 4 and 6 of the National League Championship Series due to an ankle injury, he became the first player in history to end a World Series game with a grand slam in his team’s final at-bat.
“I couldn’t feel anything. I just felt like I was floating,” he said of the feeling as he rounded the bases. “It’s as good as it is there.”
For more World Series news, check out Newsweek Sports.
