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.

Close throughout, it went to extras, and then Freddie Freeman won it with a grand slam down to their last out. I can’t type.

6-3.

HOLY SHIT GUYS

======

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.

In the 1st, he basically pitched around Juan Soto in a four-pitch walk, and then NLCS MVP Tommy Edman made an error at short on a Giancarlo Stanton grounder to put a pair on. However, he got Jazz Chisholm 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 Freeman tripled after Alex 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 Stanton 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 him out of the game (5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 90 Pitches) for Anthony Banda, who gave up a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single and steal, struck out Anthony Rizzo, intentionally walked Anthony Volpe, and loaded the bases when Austin Wells reached on an infield single that saw Edman save a run. That paid off when Banda struck out 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 Freeman flew out to the warning track to end the threat.

Next up for the Dodgers pen was Brusdar Graterol 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 Hernandez 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 Smith, who popped out on the first pitch, a ball out of the zone inside.

After Tommy Kahnle entered for Gavin Lux, he grounded out weakly to second.

After Alex Vesia got a clean 8th with a couple of strikeouts for the Dodgers, 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.

Mookie then 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-double and fan interference double to Gleyber 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, 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, who started with a strikeout, but 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, and then Volpe got a sinker (for whatever reason) and grounded it up the middle that Edman dove to stop for an out but Jazz scored to make it 3-2 Yankees.

For the Yankees it was Jake Cousins for the save, starting with an out but then walking Gavin Lux and giving up an Edman single that deflected off Oswaldo Cabrera‘s glove for a single.

That brought up Ohtani, and Nestor Cortes was brought in by Aaron Boone to face him.

Ohtani flied out to Alex 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.

What a damn game.

From elsewhere around the … world.

——

Fernando Valenzuela was honored. Great moment.

This was amusing.

======

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.

Tags

About Chad Moriyama

Avatar photo
"A highly rational Internet troll." - Los Angeles Times
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2014-2023 | Dodgers Digest | All Rights Reserved