Freeman hits walk-off GS to end Game 1 classic

LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman lifted his bat to the sky and watched the ball fly.

The Los Angeles Dodgers‘ hobbled first baseman, who has spent all month playing through a badly sprained right ankle, came up with the bases loaded, his team trailing by a run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, and delivered a walk-off grand slam, electrifying a sold-out Dodger Stadium and sending his team to an improbable 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

It marked the third walk-off homer in the World Series in franchise history, along with those by Max Muncy (Game 3 in 2018) and Kirk Gibson (Game 1 in 1988).

“It felt like nothing, just kind of floating,” Freeman said when asked what it felt like while rounding the bases. “Those are the kind of things, when you’re five years old with your two older brothers and you’re playing wiffle ball in the backyard, those are the scenarios you dream about — two outs, bases loaded in a World Series game. For it to actually happen and get a home run and walk it off to give us a 1-0 lead, that’s as good as it gets right there.”

The Yankees had taken the lead in the previous half-inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr., 5-for-34 through his first nine postseason games, lined a one-out single to the right side off Blake Treinen, then stole second base and easily swiped third and came around to score on a groundout.

But the Dodgers threatened once again in the bottom half, putting runners on first and second with one out and Shohei Ohtani coming to bat. Veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes, who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 18 because of a flexor strain, came out of the bullpen to face him.

Ohtani lofted the first pitch into left-field foul territory, prompting a spectacular lunging catch by Alex Verdugo. Both runners moved up a base because Verdugo fell over the fence. The Yankees then opted to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, loading the bases and setting up the lefty-lefty matchup with Freeman.

It didn’t work. The first pitch from Cortes was a 93 mph fastball on the inside corner. Freeman turned on it and sent it 423 feet to right field — a no-doubter that gave the Dodgers the thrilling victory.

“I’ve been playing this game a long time, and to come up in those moments, you dream about those moments even when you’re 35 and been in the league for 15 years, you want to be a part of those,” Freeman said. “It’s the kind of energy the crowd brought tonight — Game 1 of the World Series. Everyone’s been talking about this all week. For us to get that first win, especially like that, that’s pretty good, but we’ve got three more to go.”

The Yankees and Dodgers — two of Major League Baseball’s most stories franchises, residing in its two biggest markets and boasting the best records in each league this season — are meeting in the World Series for the 12th time, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics for the most common final-round matchup in all the major sports. As if this matchup couldn’t be any more high-profile, it also features Aaron Judge and Ohtani, the two transcendent stars who will each be named regular-season MVP.

But another star shined in Game 1.