Dodgers 6, Yankees 3 – 2024 World Series Game 1: FREDDIE FUCKING FREEMAN WALKS IT OFF WITH A GRAND SLAM

Chad Moriyama 10/25/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

A matchup of historical titans and, most importantly, the teams with the two best records in baseball in 2024, the World Series began with an absolutely legendary game between the Dodgers and Yankees.

Close throughout, it eventually ended up going to extras with the Dodgers going down a run … and then Freddie Freeman won it with a grand slam down to their last out. I can’t type.

6-3.

HOLY SHIT GUYS

WHAT A MOMENT

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Let’s backtrack.

Coming off a horrific Game 5 start against the Mets, Jack Flaherty has been … uneven so far in the playoffs. But maybe he really was just under the weather last time out, as he came back with increased velocity to start today.

After starting the 1st with an out, he basically pitched around Juan Soto in a four-pitch walk, and then after a strikeout NLCS MVP Tommy Edman made an error at short on a Giancarlo Stanton grounder to put a pair on. However, he got Jazz Chisholm Jr. to groundout to end the threat.

In the 2nd, an Anthony Rizzo lead-off single that unluckily deflected off Flaherty’s foot was moved to second after two outs, but Alex Verdugo grounded out to keep things scoreless. Flaherty then had a single erased by a double play and faced the minimum in the 3rd, and got his first clean inning in an eight-pitch 4th.

After two strikeouts in the 5th, he gave up a single but got a 14-pitch scoreless inning.

It was still tied at that point, though, as his opposition was doing work.

On paper, the best pitcher in this series is Gerrit Cole, but the Dodgers got off to something of a promising start against him. Both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts hit long flyballs to the warning track for outs, then Freddie tripled after Verdugo had a nightmare in left, but Teoscar Hernandez lined out to end the chance.

He followed that with a 13-pitch clean frame in the 2nd, and despite another deep flyout via Gavin Lux, got another clean 13-pitch one in the 3rd. The Dodgers also didn’t make things difficult for him in a clean 4th either, which took just 15 more pitches.

Things didn’t start well in the 5th either with a strikeout, but Enrique Hernandez came up and smacked a ball past Soto down the line in right for another triple. Will Smith then cashed in the chance with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Enrique just in front of Soto’s throw. 1-0 Dodgers.

Now with a slim lead, Dave Roberts made the choice to let Flaherty get the heart of the order again to start the 6th.

While Soto did his Soto thing and singled on a great pitch, Flaherty got Judge to whiff and had Giancarlo down 1-2, which is when he missed location on a curve and it cost him two runs on a towering homer to left that made it 2-1 Yankees.

That knocked Flaherty out of the game, and despite the one mistake, he looked sharp: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 90 Pitches.

Anthony Banda was the choice out of the pen, and he gave up a Jazz single and steal, struck out Rizzo, intentionally walked Anthony Volpe, and loaded the bases when Austin Wells reached on an infield single that saw Edman save a run with a diving stop. That paid off when Banda struck out Verdugo and escaped with the game still 2-1.

The Dodgers tried to rally back in the 6th against Cole, as Edman led off with a double down the line in right. After Ohtani could only advanced him to third on a bouncer up the middle, Mookie scorched a ball to third with the infield in for an out, and Freddie flew out to the warning track to end the threat.

Next up for the Dodgers pen was Brusdar Graterol, who started the 7th against the top of the order, getting two outs and then giving up a single, but ending it with a strikeout.

Cole then started the 7th himself, giving up a single to Teoscar after an eight-pitch battle. That brought in Clay Holmes, who immediately got behind 2-0 and then hit Max Muncy on the foot to put a pair on. For whatever reason, Dave called for a bunt with Enrique, which he did successfully.

The problem? It setup the struggling Will, who popped out on the first pitch, on a ball out of the zone inside. After Tommy Kahnle entered for Lux, he grounded out weakly to second and the threat was dead.

Alex Vesia got a clean 8th with a couple of strikeouts for the Dodgers, and Kahnle continued in the 8th for the Yankees, getting an out to start, then Ohtani rifled a ball off the wall in right for a double. The throw in bounced away from Gleyber Torres and got a way to allow Ohtani to get to third with one out.

Luke Weaver entered to face Mookie, who got down in the count 0-2, but battled and hit a liner to center for a sac fly to tie the game at 2-2.

Tasked with giving them a walk-off chance was Michael Kopech, who got two outs but then gave up a near-homer and fan interference double to Torres. That made things tough, as he issued an intentional walk to Soto and then Treinen entered for Judge, who he got to pop out on the infield. Phew.

Weaver continued in the 9th for the Yankees, getting a clean inning on 13 pitches with the Dodgers missing some hittable pitches.

Bonus baseball in the World Series!

Things started with Treinen continuing in the 10th for the Dodgers, and while he started with a strikeout, he then gave up a single to Chisholm that Mookie did great to cut-off in right. Jazz then stole second, and after getting behind Rizzo, they put him on intentionally. Unfortunately, Jazz then stole third without a throw to corner the runners to move into scoring position with just one out.

With Volpe at the plate, Treinen threw him a 2-2 sinker (for whatever reason) and he grounded it up the middle. Edman dove to stop it for an out, but couldn’t get it out of his glove for a double play try, and Jazz scored to make it 3-2 Yankees.

Now with a lead, it was Jake Cousins for the save in Game 1 for the Yankees. He began with an out, but then issued a key walk to Lux and gave up an Edman single that deflected off Oswaldo Cabrera‘s glove despite getting ahead 0-2 in the at-bat.

That would prove devastating.

With Ohtani coming up, Nestor Cortes was brought in by Aaron Boone to face him. A risky choice, but it seemed to work initially as Ohtani flew out on the first pitch to Verdugo, who made a great play and then fell out of the field of play to make it second and third but with two outs.

Mookie was next up, and he was intentionally walked to load the bases for Freeman.

Safe to say he took that personally.

Freddie credited his biggest moment to his dad.

He also got a well-deserved shower.

What a damn game.

Reactions from people not on the field were just as great.

Also from elsewhere around the … well, world.

The inevitable comparison.

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Fernando Valenzuela was honored before the game. Great moment.

Switching gears, this was amusing.

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The World Series is (obviously) now 1-0 Dodgers.

Game 2 will be in the same place between the same teams at the same time of 2:08 PM HT/5:08 PM PT/8:08 PM ET on FOX. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking to replicate his regular season start against the same opposition (without the injury after) against Carlos Rodon.

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