2024 World Series: Freddie Freeman walks off Yankees as Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers take Game 1
Former National League MVP Freeman's dramatic grand slam in the 10th inning gives the Dodgers a 6-3 victory and the series lead as the Fall Classic gets under way in style.
Baseball Softball
The first game of the Fall Classic was indeed a classic.
Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to give Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 win against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday (26 October).
Drama ensued at Dodger Stadium with two outs and the bases loaded, when Freeman sent the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes into the right field bleachers to give his team a 1-0 lead in the showdown between baseball's two most storied franchises.
It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history, and Ohtani loved every minute of it.
“It really was the greatest home run and the greatest way to win,” said Ohtani, who is appearing in his first World Series.
Shohei Ohtani: "A fantastic way to win"
Ohtani did his part in setting up the victory for the Dodgers, who are facing the Yankees in the Fall Classic for the 12th time but the first in 43 years.
In the bottom of the eighth with the Dodgers down 2-1, Ohtani smoked a double to right-centre for his first World Series hit and moved to third on a fielding error.
He then scored the tying run on Mookie Betts’ sac fly, sending the game into extra innings.
In the 10th after the Yankees made it 3-2 in the top half, Ohtani came up to bat with one out and runners on first and second. He fouled out to left but forced Alex Verdugo into the stands in making the catch, advancing the runners by ground rule.
Betts was intentionally walked to load the bases and Freeman, who has been playing through the post-season with a badly sprained right ankle, did the rest as the sellout crowd went into frenzy.
“I thought I had a good at-bat,” Ohtani recalled of his double. “It was huge to reach third with only one out.
“Both starters pitched well and we managed to come on down the stretch. All in all, especially with our pitching, it really was a fantastic way to win.
“I hope we can keep this going tomorrow.”
Ohtani's Japanese compatriot and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Yamamoto Yoshinobu will take the hill for the Dodgers in Game 2 on Saturday.
Shohei Ohtani was having a ball in his first career World Series game.