Stephen J. Nesbitt·Senior Writer, MLB
Dodgers take Game 1 on Freeman's walk-off grand slam
How could it end any other way?
It was Yankees-Dodgers. It was Freddie Freeman vs. Nestor Cortes. It was bases loaded and two outs. It was the 10th inning in Game 1 of the World Series. It was the slugger with a bum ankle against a lefty who hadn’t pitched in a month.
And it was first-pitch swinging. A heater that caught too much of the plate. Freeman launched a walk-off grand slam into the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat Friday night. The Dodgers captured Game 1, 6-3.
That came after Yankees trade-deadline acquisition Jazz Chisholm Jr. put them ahead in the top of the 10th inning. He singled, stole second and third, then scored the go-ahead run off Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen. But Freeman and the Dodgers had a final answer.
Freeman’s swing ended a classic Game 1. Both starting pitchers excelled. There were big swings both ways. The Dodgers took a lead, the Yankees surged ahead, then they went all square into extras.
The Dodgers struggled to get anything going against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, but three of their four hits went for extra bases. In the fifth, Juan Soto’s awkward route in right field turned a would-be double into a triple for Enrique Hernández, who scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.
Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty bounced back beautifully from a rough start his last time out. He did not let Juan Soto or Aaron Judge beat him. But then Giancarlo Stanton did. In the sixth, Flaherty spun an inside curveball below the zone, and Stanton smoked it to left field for a go-ahead, two-run home run. It was Stanton’s sixth homer this postseason. Crucially, the Yankees left the bases loaded that inning, with lefty Anthony Banda striking out Alex Verdugo.
The Yankees were perfectly positioned to close out the game, with Cole exiting after six-plus innings of one-run baseball and the Yankees bullpen fully rested. Ohtani disrupted those plans. He doubled high off the center-field wall off reliever Tommy Kahnle and took third when Soto’s throw short-hopped Gleyber Torres. Another misplay, another run on a sacrifice fly.
In extras, Chisholm scampered home as diving Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman bobbled Anthony Volpe’s grounder, which might have been an inning-ending double-play ball.
The Yankees turned to reliever Jake Cousins. Gavin Lux walked with one out, and Tommy Edman singled on a grounder that glanced off second baseman Oswaldo Cabrera’s glove. Cortes entered to face Ohtani, who flied out to left on a fabulous catch from Verdugo that carried him into the stands. The Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts, setting up the left-on-left matchup with Freeman.
The team that has won Game 1 has gone on to win the World Series 24 of the last 30 times. With one mighty swing, Freeman put the Dodgers on the right side of that stat.
What to watch for in Game 2 tomorrow
Wait, they’re going to do this again?
Game 1 of this highly anticipated World Series matchup lived up to the hype. It was a tense game throughout, the stars had their moments, and Freddie Freeman delivered an ending worthy of Hollywood.
Now, we have a little less than 24 hours to come down from the emotion of Game 1 and get ready for Game 2. One thing we seem to have learned is that Freeman’s ankle is feeling better. He was running better — especially on his first-inning triple — which could keep him in the Game 2 lineup against Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón. The Dodgers will counter with their biggest offseason pitching addition, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both Rodón and Yamamoto have pitched well in their past two postseason starts.
A bigger question after a 10-inning game might be the state of the bullpens after each team used five relievers, including all of their go-to, high-leverage arms. Presumably everyone is available to go back-to-back at this point, though, and no one threw a ton of pitches. Of the Yankees key arms, Clay Holmes threw only five pitches, Tommy Kahnle threw eight, and Luke Weaver threw 19 across 1 2/3 innings. For the Dodgers, Blake Treinen threw 22 pitches, Michael Kopech threw 10, and Alex Vesia threw 16.
Looking for a big bounceback in Game 2 is Yankees MVP favorite Aaron Judge who went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in the series opener. His right field Dodgers counterpart Mookie Betts was hitless in Game 1 but did have a walk and a sacrifice fly. Both are capable of more in Game 2, though Freeman set a pretty high standard.
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Gibby meets Freddie
As Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series eased over the right-field wall at Dodger Stadium, play-by-play announcer Joe Davis met the moment. And Gibby met Freddie.
Freeman, playing on a bum right ankle, drew comparisons to Dodgers legend Kirk Gibson, who, hobbled by a hamstring injury, delivered an iconic walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, fit for a Vin Scully soundbyte: “High fly ball into right field, she is gone!” Mere seconds after Freeman’s long ball on Friday, Davis paid homage to his predecessor: “Freeman hits a ball to right field, she is gone! Gibby, meet Freddie!”
In 2017, Davis succeeded Scully as the full-time voice of the team-owned SportsNet LA broadcast. In 2022, Scully died at age 94. In 2024, Davis honored his memory — and social media did its thing.
Countless people praised Davis, who has called each of the last three World Series for Fox, for a “Where were you?” moment. It took place in the bottom of the 10th — free baseball, per se — but exceeded the price of admission. The only downside was that the 52,394 in attendance did not hear it.
One person on X dubbed the Dodgers’ 6-3 win “the Gibby-meet-Freddie game.”
Most valuable player: Freddie Freeman
“Tonight, the game honored him.”
Just minutes after a wilder finish than anyone could have imagined, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was on live TV trying to sum up Freddie Freeman’s game-winning grand slam in the 10th inning of World Series Game 1. Roberts came up with those five words: “Tonight, the game honored him.”
Freeman had been hobbled this postseason. His ailing ankle had left him limping and occasionally unable to play. He came into the game hitting .167 with no extra-base hits in the playoffs. He also had been through personal turmoil this season with his young son hospitalized with a rare medical condition.
But Freeman has been one of the game’s great players and one of its brighter personalities. He’s a former MVP, an eight-time All-Star, and at 35 years old, he delivered one of the great moments of his career to put the Dodgers in control of this heavyweight World Series matchup.
“I’m glad it’s him that did it,” Mookie Betts said.
Kiké Hernández said something similar, telling MLB Network that he first thought he’d be the one to win the game, then he thought Shohei Ohtani would be the one do it, but Hernández said there ultimately wasn’t a better ending than Freeman playing the hero. And it bodes well for the Dodgers that Freeman ran well around the bases, not only on the home run — when he probably could have floated — but also on a first-inning triple that provided the first hint that Freeman might be back to his old self.
A healthy Freeman is a massive difference maker in this series. This was a Dodgers win, but it was Freeman’s moment.
Tonight, the game honored him.
Why was Nestor Cortes pitching in the game’s biggest moment?
Nestor Cortes practically foreshadowed the scenario before Game 1 of the World Series.
He was active and ready to pitch in a major-league game for the first time since Sept. 18. He knew he was going to come out of the bullpen. He knew he was going to be used as a lefty specialist. And he knew that could mean facing Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, two of the most ferocious hitters in the entire game.
“It’s definitely going to be a tough task,” Cortes said. “Obviously we’re talking about one of the best hitters in baseball in that lineup. But I think it's not uncharted territory for me to face lefties and get them out. I think throughout my whole career I've done that pretty well.”
The matchup came in the 10th inning, and especially after the result, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was having to answer for the decision after the game.
“Just liked the matchup,” Boone said. “The reality is he's been throwing the ball really well the last few weeks as he's gotten ready for this. I knew with one out there, it would be tough to double up Shohei if Tim Hill gets him on the ground and then Mookie (Betts) behind him is a tough matchup there. So felt convicted with Nestor in that spot.”
Cortes made sense as lefty counter to the left-handed hitters in Freeman and Ohtani. As a starter, Cortes held lefty batters to a .530 OPS in the regular season. Ohtani was 2-for-12 against him in his career.
New York’s other option would have been Hill, who held lefties to a .643 OPS and was also warming in the 10th. Hill has allowed only one earned run in seven appearances this postseason.
“I just wanted to make sure that Nestor warmed up well, and then if there was a two-out situation, I wanted to at least have the consideration to use Timmy there,” Boone said.
Boone instead turned to Cortes, who was not working as a starter. He was not working with a clean inning. And he was working with an elbow weakened by a flexor strain that cost him more than a month and could still be an issue in the future.
Even if the numbers may have favored Cortes, the context left room for doubt. Cortes still got Ohtani to fly out in foul territory thanks to a terrific running catch from Alex Verdugo. Boone then called for the intentional walk of Betts to induce to left-on-left matchup with Freeman.
Cortes’ first pitch to Freeman was a 92.5 mph fastball on the inner part of the plate. Four-hundred and nine feet later it was a historic grand slam that cost the Yankees the game and left Boone under the New York microscope once again.
Cortes: 'I know I’m going to get another opportunity'
Before the series, Nestor Cortes said he was willing to be injured all next year, if it meant getting a ring this year. He said he made that decision to pitch because “of the guys in here.” It’s a decision he stands by, and he expressed confidence in his, and his team’s ability to bounce back.
“The adrenaline rush was amazing,” he said. "I was 88-90 in my live, and I was 92 here. I got more of that. I know I’m going to get another opportunity. And I’m going to take the ball when my name is called."
Least valuable player: Nestor Cortes
This framing feels a little unfair, because it was a wonderfully played baseball game. The smallest mistakes mattered. Like Juan Soto letting two runners reach third — and then score — by misplaying a fly ball and later short-hopping a throw to second base. Or Blake Treinen and Will Smith letting Jazz Chisholm Jr. steal second and third. Or Tommy Edman bobbling a ball. Or Oswaldo Cabrera having a grounder glance off his glove.
But only one mistake ended the game.
Cortes has one job in this World Series. He’s expected to somehow slow down Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers lefties. Manager Aaron Boone turned to Cortes instead of fellow lefty Tim Hill, who was also warm in the bullpen. Cortes got Ohtani on a first-pitch fly ball that Alex Verdugo tracked down in foul territory. But Cortes’ first offering to Freeman came in lower than he wanted, and Freeman didn’t miss it. You can bet Boone will make a different call to the bullpen if the same situation arises again.
It was a night no one at Dodger Stadium will forget, especially not the man walking off the mound after his first outing in a month, suddenly the Game 1 loser.
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Judge: 'It’s time to go to work'
Aaron Judge was clearly disappointed after the heartbreaking defeat. A fact he acknowledged, but made clear wouldn’t define this series.
“You can’t sit here and mope. You can’t sit here and complain. You can’t shoulda, coulda, woulda. It’s time to go to work. We lost this game, learn from it."
Dodgers stay on field well after Freeman's grand slam
The Dodgers players stayed on the field well after Freddie Freeman's heroic grand slam.
"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team stay on the field for 20 minutes after a final play just to watch in awe and to soak in the fans," said Blake Treinen after the game. "I mean that was the most incredible moment in baseball I’ve seen. I’ve been blessed to see a lot of things in my career, that’s now the top."
Your thoughts on Game 1
The subscribers had a lot of thoughts regarding that epic finish to Game 1 of the World Series.
Mario Y: “I yelled out Vin Scully's call from '88...'High fly ball to right field, she is GONE!!!' Somewhere, Kirk Gibson is smiling...
Wyatt S: “We just witnessed this generation’s version of the Kirk Gibson walk-off, injured leg and all.”
Mike G: “I love baseball.”
Greg A: I wonder if they will still be discussing Boone's great postseason moves tomorrow.”
Torres turns the page
Gleyber Torres said once he saw the replay of his eighth-inning double, he realized that his ball had been caught by a fan and wasn’t a homer. At the time, he said, he was focused on running to second base. It did not go out, he did not score. And two innings later, his team had lost.
“Whatever happens tonight, we forget it. Tomorrow’s another game. We’ve got plenty of opportunities to do whatever we want to do. Just try the same plan we have tonight and try to attack early."
Verdugo on Freeman: 'He's a great hitter'
Alex Verdugo did everything he could to get Nestor Cortes out of the 10th inning. He made an incredible play on a Shohei Ohtani fly ball — shades of Derek Jeter diving into the stands against the Red Sox two decades ago. But, he didn’t have much time to celebrate a play that will become a footnote in Yankees history.
Two batters later, he watched as Freddie Freeman hit a ball that no outfielder would be able to catch.
“The guy had a flexor strain, and missed a month to get back,” Verdugo said. "He’s a big time pitcher for us. Freddie got him. He made a good swing. He’s a great hitter, these are great players. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap, the other guys get you. I got my money on Nestor every time."
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Yankees pivot point: Soto’s error comes back to haunt New York
What if Freddie Freeman’s ball never left the yard? What if Nestor Cortes had not entered to pitch for the first time since Sept. 18? What if the game never reached extra innings? It’s entirely possible none of that would have happened if not for an errant throw back into the infield.
In the eighth inning, Shohei Ohtani banged a double off the right-field wall. Juan Soto fielded the hop but lofted a lackadaisical throw back toward second base. There was no cut-off man calling for the ball, so Soto’s throw short-hopped second baseman Gleyber Torres, who was set up well in front of the bag. Rather than knock the ball down, Torres tried to swipe the hop. The ball ended up deflecting off his glove and trickling toward the pitcher’s mound. Neither first baseman Anthony Rizzo nor any other Yankee had floated to the middle of the field, so Ohtani took off for third as Rizzo eventually corralled the ball.
Torres was initially charged with the error, but the official scorer later changed the play to an error on Soto. Truth is there were mistakes on multiple levels. Ohtani’s move to third allowed him to score on a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly and tied the game at 2-2.
We hear all the time about the value of each base. Here a simple mistake cost the Yankees 90 feet and, in a way, Game 1 of the World Series.
“Once there's no play, you can really retreat and give ground and get a long hop, but he still got to a short hop,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “You've just got to secure it there.”
Dodgers pivot point: Edman saves a run
After winning the NLCS MVP, give Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman a save — or at least a hold — in Game 1 of the World Series.
If not for Edman’s defensive play in the sixth inning, the Dodgers wouldn’t have made it to the 10th inning.
With two runs in, two runners on and two out in the sixth inning, Edman made a diving stop on Yankees catcher Austin Wells’ single up the middle, keeping the ball in the infield and forcing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to put on the brakes around third base, preventing him from scoring and giving the Yankees a 3-1 lead.
Anthony Banda struck out Alex Verdugo to end the Yankee threat. The Dodgers would tie the game at 2-2 in the 9th before winning it in the 10th.
Gavin Lux's view of Freeman's grand slam
Gavin Lux had a great view of Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam.
"Oh man, I mean he crushed that ball," Lux said. "I think it was 108, spun it well too. So I think right when he hit it everyone knew it was a homer. That was about as good of one as you can get there, bases loaded in a World Series game to win it, can’t make that up."
Nestor Cortes on pitching to Freeman
Nestor Cortes said he wanted to get his final pitch a couple inches higher to Freddie Freeman, but ultimately left it more in the middle of the zone. He had been ready to come in as early as the fourth, and wasn’t surprised to be used for the first time in more than a month in that situation.
He said that after watching the home run, he came in, got a workout in, and tried to turn the page for tomorrow.
Mookie Betts on Freeman: 'I’m glad it’s him that did it'
After the game, Mookie Betts said he was glad that Freddie Freeman was the player to hit the walk-off grand slam.
"I just put my hands up and jumped," Betts said. "I was running around, I wanted to stop and wait on him but I couldn’t, so I just kept running and screaming."
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Revisiting the Dodgers keys to victory
Let’s see how these three keys look 10 innings and several blood-pressure surges later.
Make Gerrit Cole work — ❌
Cole had some of his best stuff in Game 1. He was dialed in. Shohei Ohtani swinging on the first pitch of the game suggested the Dodgers weren’t going to be overly patient. They weren’t, and it worked. Three of their four hits off Cole went for extra bases. It was Enrique Hernández’s triple that led to the game’s first run, and the only run Los Angeles pushed across against Cole.
A return of Game 1 Jack Flaherty — ✅
Flaherty matched zeros with Cole for the first half of the night. He was almost perfect until leaving a curveball spinning somewhere in the vicinity of Giancarlo Stanton, who launched it into orbit. Flaherty’s line: 5 1/3 innings, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, 90 pitches. That’ll do. He was sharp. He had a great plan for Aaron Judge.
A healthy (enough) Freddie Freeman — ✅✅✅
Hahahahahahaha.
Yeah, it was a key to victory, all right. He’s healthy enough. Healthy enough to leg out a triple. Healthy enough to smack a game-winning, come-from-behind, extra-inning grand slam. Healthy enough to jump the railing to hug his dad. Bet your ankle doesn’t hurt a bit when you’re walking on air.
Reviewing our Yankees keys to victory
Before the game, we singled out three key issues for the Yankees. Let’s review.
- Stop the top — This was obvious. It seemed vital that the Yankees find a way to minimize the top of the Dodgers’ lineup, and for seven innings, they did that. The top three Dodgers were 1-for-9 their first three times through the order, but Shohei Ohtani's eighth-inning at-bat was a double off the top of the wall, he took third on a botched scoop, and he scored on a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly. Then, of course, Freddie Freeman delivered the game-winning grand slam in the 10th. The top three Dodgers hitters were only on base four times, but they drove in five runs and scored three of them.
- Avoid the sudden shift — The Yankees had previously lost only two games this postseason, but each one involved a lost lead when the game shifted suddenly with a multiple-run inning. This time, the Yankees blew two one-run leads, and again, the decisive moment was a multi-run inning when the Yankees went from one out away to one game down. Sudden shifts don’t get much bigger than a two-out, extra-inning, World Series grand slam.
- Maximize the lefties — Nestor Cortes hadn’t pitched since Sept. 18. The Yankees activated him for this series to give themselves three lefties in their bullpen, and he was the first — and only — left-hander they used. Tim Hill, who had been the team’s high-leverage lefty much of the season, also got loose in the 10th inning, but manager Aaron Boone chose Cortes who got Ohtani out (on a great catch by Alex Verdugo), but with the bases loaded, Freeman sent a first-pitch fastball into the seats. Going with Cortes was a risk that did not pay off.
Game 1 takeaways
Our baseball writers have brought us instant takeaways from an instant classic, delving into:
- Dodgers stars came up big when they needed it
- Cole does his job
- Dodgers had a clear gameplan against Soto
- Soto’s defense was costly
Follow the link below to check out their breakdown!