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Los Angeles Dodgers triumphed over the New York Yankees 6-3 in the World Series Opener. The star of the night was Freddie Freeman, he hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. The Dodgers won the game in extra innings to seal the game One at Dodger Stadium.
With the sides locked at 2-2 after nine innings, Great Britain international Jazz Chisholm Jr led a Yankees rally to give them a slender lead in the top of the 10th. But with the Dodgers down to their last out, the Yankees' decision to intentionally walk the dangerous Mookie Betts, loading the bases for Freeman, backfired spectacularly.
The first game of the best-of-seven series began as a pitching duel as Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole dominated. The hosts broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth inning as Enrique Hernandez, only the second Dodger to get on base by that stage, raced home on a sacrifice fly by Will Smith.
The Yankees, in their first World Series since 2009, bounced straight back as Giancarlo Stanton hoisted Flaherty for a two-run homer. Both sides squandered opportunities by stranding baserunners, but the Dodgers drew level after Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a double to centre field in the eighth, advanced to third base on a fielding error and Betts' sacrifice fly drove him in.
Yankees missed chances
The Yankees thought they had retaken the lead in the ninth when Gleyber Torres went deep to centre field, but as a supporter reached over to grab the ball before it hit the wall, a ruling of "fan interference" was upheld after a video replay, and Torres was sent back to second base.
Yankees talisman Aaron Judge, who had a disappointing night with three strikeouts, then stranded two runners as extra innings loomed. In the 10th, Chisholm stole two bases before Anthony Volpe batted him in to make it 3-2.
Back came the Dodgers, with two men on base and the script surely written for an Ohtani walk-off - but after he fluffed his lines, Freeman put the seal on a memorable game.
The series continues on Saturday at the same venue, before switching to New York on Monday.
Freddie Freeman's classic performance
Game 1 of the World Series lived up to the hype of a Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Yankees Fall Classic, and Freddie Freeman was the hero.
The Dodgers first baseman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to cap off a dramatic game. The Yankees had taken the lead in the top of the 10th, 3-2, but Freeman came through with a 423-foot monster of a home run to give his team a 6-3 victory and a 1-0 lead in the World Series.
It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.
Freeman's postseason
Freeman has been playing patchy all postseason after spraining his ankle during the last week of the regular season. He didn't post a single extra-base hit in the NLDS or NLCS, and he sat out some games to rest the ankle, then hit a grand slam and a triple on Friday. The play was highly reminiscent of Kirk Gibson's walk-off homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A's. In both cases, a first baseman hobbled by an injury delivered a homer to win the game. Gibson's still reverberates through Dodgers history, and this one will, too, if the Dodgers can get it done in the next few games.
There was plenty of drama before the grand slam as well. The Dodgers scored the first run, but the Yankees responded with a titanic homer from Giancarlo Stanton. Both starting pitchers, Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty, had good starts, but Flaherty came out in line for the loss.
Shohei Ohtani led the game-tying rally in the eighth inning, smashing a double, taking third on an error, and scoring on a Mookie Betts sacrifice fly. The Yankees nearly took the lead in the ninth, but a Gleyber Torres fly ball caught by a fan ended up being ruled a double. In the top of the 10th inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. small-balled the Yankees to the lead. He singled off top Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen, stole second and third, then scored on an RBI fielder's choice from Anthony Volpe. It could have been a huge win for the Yankees, but it ended up being history for the Dodgers.
World Series schedule & results
Game 1: Dodgers 6-3 Yankees
Game 2 (in LA): Saturday, 26 October
Game 3 (in New York): Monday, 28 October
Game 4 (in New York): Tuesday, 29 October
Game 5* (in New York): Wednesday, 30 October
Game 6* (in LA): Friday, 1 November
Game 7* (in LA): Saturday, 2 November
*if required. Matches start 20:08 Eastern Time (early next morning UK time). Home team listed first.
