International Courant
LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman hit the primary game-ending grand slam in World Collection historical past with two outs within the tenth inning to offer the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a dramatic opener on Friday evening.
Hampered by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the primary pitch he noticed – an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes – and raised his bat excessive earlier than starting his trot because the sold-out crowd of 52,394 roared.
“I am unable to consider what simply occurred,” Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts stated. “That is what makes the Fall Basic a traditional, proper, as a result of the celebs come out and superstars make large performs, get large hits, within the greatest moments. … I am speechless proper now.”
It was paying homage to Kirk Gibson’s game-ending homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Recreation 1 of the 1988 World Collection at Dodger Stadium — some of the well-known swings in baseball historical past.
Gibson, sidelined by leg accidents, got here off the bench and related with Corridor of Fame nearer Dennis Eckersley.
Freeman, who missed three video games throughout the Nationwide League playoffs as a result of proper ankle damage, did not have an additional base hit this postseason till hitting a triple earlier on Friday.
“It truly felt fairly good,” Freeman stated. “We have now handled it very properly over the previous six days. I really feel fairly good. Proper once I ran out to offer high-fives to my teammates, I felt fairly good as a result of that was the primary time I ran all week. So the ankle is sweet.’
After the house run, Freeman ran to his father.
“I simply screamed in his face. I am sorry, Dad,” Freeman stated, laughing. “He is been there since I used to be just a little boy, giving me batting apply every single day. So this can be a second, it is my father’s second.
On this much-hyped, star-studded World Collection between two of baseball’s most storied and profitable franchises, Recreation 1 definitely delivered. It was the third straight Collection opener that went into additional innings.
“We won’t simply sit right here and mope,” Yankees slugger Aaron Choose stated. “Be taught from it, the place we will enhance, and attempt to win the subsequent one.”
Within the high of the tenth, Anthony Volpe grounded right into a fielder’s option to shortstop to attain Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base after stealing two bases, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The speedy Chisholm singled off Blake Treinen after which stole second base. After an intentional stroll to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm swept into third base uncontested as Treinen got here slowly to the plate and Max Muncy performed deep at third base.
Tommy Edman made a diving cease to his left on Volpe’s grounder, however initially could not get it out of his glove. He threw to second to get Rizzo out as Chisholm flew dwelling with the go-ahead run.
However the Dodgers weren’t finished but.
Gavin Lux walked Jake Cousins with one out within the backside of the tenth and superior to second base on Edman’s infield single to second base. Defensive substitute Oswaldo Cabrera knocked the ball down along with his glove, nevertheless it leaked into the outfield.
That introduced up star slugger Shohei Ohtani, a left-handed hitter. Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone turned to his bullpen once more for Cortes, a lefty starter who had not pitched since September 18 as a result of an elbow damage.
After lacking the AL playoffs, Cortes was added to the World Collection roster on Friday.
Left fielder Alex Verdugo made a working catch in foul territory to get rid of Ohtani. Verdugo’s momentum despatched him tumbling over the low retaining wall, shifting each runners up one base, because it turned a lifeless ball in regulation when Verdugo ended up within the stands.
With first base open, New York deliberately walked Mookie Betts to load the bases and arrange a lefty-on-lefty matchup of Cortes towards Freeman.
“I obtained there in time for the heater,” Freeman stated.
His drive to the right-field pavilion despatched Dodgers followers right into a frenzy. It was the third walk-off homer in World Collection historical past for a trailing staff, following Gibson’s shot and Joe Carter’s drive for the Toronto Blue Jays to win the 1993 World Collection towards Philadelphia.
“That is stuff, you are 5 years outdated, proper there within the yard,” Freeman stated. “That is a dream come true, nevertheless it’s just one. We have now three extra.”
It is going to be the twelfth time the Yankees and Dodgers have met within the World Collection, the commonest recreation in Main League annals, however their earlier matchup in October was 43 years in the past.
Whereas the Dodgers search for their eighth and second titles in 5 years, the Yankees are within the Fall Basic for the primary time since profitable No. 27 in 2009.
The primary Collection that includes a pair of 50-home run hitters in Choose (58) and Ohtani (54) began quietly as 2023 AL Cy Younger Award winner Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty dueled by way of 4 scoreless innings. Choose struck out swinging in his first three at bats earlier than singled off Brusdar Graterol with two outs within the seventh.
Ohtani went 0 for 3 earlier than ripping a double off the precise discipline wall within the eighth. He rushed to 3rd base when second baseman Gleyber Torres mishandled Juan Soto’s throw, which proved expensive when Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly by Betts, tying the rating.
With two outs within the ninth, Torres despatched a protracted drive to left-center. A fan, sporting a Dodgers jersey, reached over the wall and caught the ball. The officers dominated there was fan interference and gave Torres a double, a name that was confirmed on video replay. The fan instantly left the room.
Blake Treinen got here in and intentionally let Soto outrun to get to Choose. He popped up and ended the inning in a 1-for-5 efficiency, together with three strikeouts.
The Dodgers broke by way of for a 1-0 lead within the fifth when Kiké Hernández tripled previous Soto in proper discipline and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Yankees answered proper again within the sixth. Soto singled to guide off earlier than Choose struck out for the third time. Giancarlo Stanton adopted with a 400-foot shot to depart Flaherty behind for his seventeenth profession postseason dwelling run. Stanton grew up within the close by San Fernando Valley, not removed from Flaherty’s hometown of Burbank.
Stanton, the American League Championship Collection MVP, related on a knuckle curve that hung barely close to the underside of the strike zone. His sixth homerun in eleven video games this postseason got here off the bottom at 116.6 mph.
After final weekend’s pennant victory in Cleveland, Stanton stated, “This isn’t the trophy I need. I need the subsequent one.”
The Yankees then loaded the bases. Chisholm singled off Anthony Banda to steal second. After Rizzo struckout, Volpe was walked deliberately. Austin Wells reached on an infield single that Edman smothered with a dive to save lots of a run earlier than Verdugo struck out towards his former staff.
NEXT
Recreation 2 is Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium, with Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón pitching towards $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Rodón is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA in three begins this postseason, with 22 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. Yamamoto is 1-0 in three postseason begins with a 5.11 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.
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Freeman hits the primary game-ending slam in World Collection historical past because the Dodgers high the Yankees 6-3
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