Dodgers defeat Yankees 6-3 in Game 1: NPR

Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates his walk-off grand slam home run against the New York Yankees during the 10th inning in Game 1 of the Baseball World Series on Friday in Los Angeles.

Ashley Landis/AP

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Ashley Landis/AP

LOS ANGELES – An all night thrill with a Hollywood ending.

Game 1 of the Yankees-Dodgers certainly delivered.

Freddie Freeman hit the first game-winning grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a dramatic opening game Friday.

“This might be the greatest baseball moment I've ever experienced, and I've seen some great ones,” marveled Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Hampered by a badly sprained right ankle, Freeman hit a home run on the first pitch he saw – a 92 mph inside fastball from Nestor Cortes – and raised his bat before beginning his trot as the sellout Crowd of 52,394 cheered.

“I can’t believe what just happened,” Roberts said. “That's what makes the Fall Classic a classic, because in the biggest moments the stars come out and superstars make big appearances and score big hits. … I’m speechless right now.”

It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson's stunning home run 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 history.

Gibson, sidelined with a leg injury, came off the bench and scored against Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley.

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

Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of his ankle injury, had not had an extra-base hit this postseason until he hit a triple in the first inning on Friday.

“It 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 felt pretty good. When I ran out to high-five my teammates, I felt pretty good because it was the first time I had run this week. So, the ankle is fine.”

After the home run, Freeman ran to his father.

“I just screamed in his face. I’m sorry, Dad,” Freeman said, laughing. “He's been there since I was a little boy and gave me batting practice every day. So this is a moment, it’s my father’s moment.”

Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run home run 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, couldn’t, wouldn’t do that,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “It's time to go to work. We lost this game. Learn from it. See where we can improve, go out there and win the next race.”

In the top of the 10th, Anthony Volpe singled on a fielder's choice to shortstop and scored Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after stealing two bases to give New York a 3-2 lead.

The speedy Chisholm singled against winning pitcher Blake Treinen and then stole second. After an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm took third base unchallenged while Treinen was slow at the plate and Max Muncy played deep at third base.

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

But the Dodgers weren't done yet.

Gavin Lux singled against shorthanded pitcher Jake Cousins ​​with one out in the bottom of the 10th and grounded out to second on Edman's infield single. Defensive substitute Oswaldo Cabrera threw the ball to the ground with his glove, but it ended up in the outfield.

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

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

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

Left fielder Alex Verdugo made a running catch in foul territory, retiring Ohtani on Cortes' first pitch. Verdugo's momentum dropped him over the low retaining wall, advancing both runners one base since it was a dead ball by rule when Verdugo landed in the stands.

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

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

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

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

“This is stuff, you’re 5 years old sitting right there in the backyard,” Freeman said. “It’s a dream come true, but it’s only one. We have three more.”

This will be the 12th time the Yankees and Dodgers have met in the World Series, the most frequent matchup in major league history, but their last meeting in October was 43 years ago.

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

The first series, featuring two 50-home run hitters in Judge (58) and Ohtani (54), started quietly as 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty dueled in four scoreless innings. Judge threw a swinging hit in his first three at-bats before hitting a single by 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 that play when second baseman Gleyber Torres mishandled Juan Soto's throw, which became costly when Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly from Betts that made the score 2-2.

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. The referees indicated fan interference and gave Torres a double, which was confirmed on the video recording. The fan immediately left the area.

Soto was intentionally struck out before Judge singled Treinen to end the inning.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Hernández Soto singled to right field and scored on a sacrifice throw by Will Smith.

The Yankees answered in the sixth. Soto singled before Judge struck out for the third time. Stanton followed with a 412-foot shot to stop Flaherty for his 17th career postseason home run. Stanton grew up in the nearby San Fernando Valley, not far from Flaherty's hometown of Burbank.

Stanton, the ALCS MVP, connected on an ankle curve that hung slightly at the bottom of the strike zone. His sixth home run in 11 games this postseason came at 116.6 mph.

After last weekend's decisive pennant victory in Cleveland, Stanton said: “That's not the trophy I want. I want the next one.”

The Yankees then loaded the bases. Chisholm beat Anthony Banda to take second place. After Rizzo struck, Volpe was intentionally kicked. Austin Wells hit an infield single that Edman smothered with a dive to save a run before Verdugo struck out with a swing 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.