Freddie Freeman sends Dodgers past Yankees with walk-off grand slam in World Series Game 1
There were questions about whether Freddie Freeman would play in this year’s World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman has been dealing with an ankle injury and although he played through it in the NLCS, he gave it a go against the New York Yankees – and in the 10th inning, there were shades of Kirk Gibson.
On the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes, Freeman sent it up the right field stands for a walk-off grand slam to stun the Yankees and give the Dodgers a 6-3 victory. It capped a thrilling Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, which saw everything from a fan interference to a finish for the ages.
The Yankees took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th inning, but the Dodgers didn’t back down. Although Shohei Ohtani flew out with runners on first and second, Alex Verdugo flew out of play while making the catch – meaning the runners advanced. Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted to walk Mookie Betts to load the bases and bring up Freeman. The rest, as they say, is history.
The moment seemed eerily familiar to Dodgers fans. It looked similar to one 36 years ago in that same stadium – and the ball nearly ended up in the same spot.
On Oct. 15, 1988, Gibson came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning despite dealing with injuries to both legs. The Dodgers trailed 4-3 at the time, but he took a Dennis Eckersley pitch to right field for a two-run home run. That gave Los Angeles a 5-4 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series en route to an eventual title.
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Gibson’s home run is one of the iconic moments in baseball history, especially considering he struggled to even walk to the plate. Vin Scully’s iconic “She is gone!” call lives on, as well, and FOX’s Joe Davis – who took over for Scully as the Dodgers’ play-by-play announcer following his retirement – paid homage.
“Freeman … right field, she is gone!” Davis exclaimed as the ball flew up the stands. “Gibby, meet Freddie. Game 1 of the World Series.”
Freddie Freeman’s situation was, in a way, like Gibson’s. He severely sprained his ankle in late September against the San Diego Padres and was visibly limping multiple times throughout the postseason. But he had enough to make a major impact in Game 1 of the World Series, including a triple early in the game. Manager Dave Roberts joked he’d have been fine with a stand-up double, but Freeman wasn’t ready to settle.
Now, the Dodgers and Yankees will get ready for Game 2 of the Best-of-7 series in Los Angeles Saturday night. First pitch is set for 8:08 p.m. ET on FOX.