In a rematch 43 years in the making, the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees didn’t fail to deliver on the World Series blockbuster billing.
Freddie Freeman drew first blood for the Dodgers with a walkoff Grand Slam in a dramatic ending to a 6-3 thrilling World Series curtain raiser.
The two titans of MLB set the stage for a World Series showdown Friday night as the Yankees and the Dodgers went blow for blow throughout ten tense innings of Game 1 in Los Angeles.
Nestor Cortes took to the mound in the tenth inning and intentionally walked Mookie Betts to face Freeman but the move backfired on the Yankees as the first baseman broke hearts across the Big Apple.
Freeman hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory.
The Los Angeles Dodgers outlasted the New York Yankees for a 6-3 Game 1 win in ten innings
Freddie Freeman hit a walkoff grand slam in the tenth inning of the dramatic opener
Hobbled by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw – an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes – and raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.
It was reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s game-ending homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Dodger Stadium – one of the most famous swings in baseball lore.
Freeman, who missed three games during the National League playoffs because of the injury to his right ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason until legging out a triple earlier on Friday.
Yet, Yankees manager Aaron Boone’s decision to bring in Cortes, who hadn’t pitched in six weeks, and intentionally walk Betts to bring Freeman up to the plate, left New York supporters fuming.
Nestor Cortes took to the mound in the tenth inning and intentionally walked Mookie Betts
Freeman homered on the first pitch he saw – an inside fastball from Cortes
‘This guy needs to be fired man,’ one fan said on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to Boone. ‘You like the matchup? Nestor was on the couch for the last month but you like the matchup? Moronic. Puzzling. Baffling.’
‘I brought in a non-reliever who hadn’t pitched in five weeks to face multiple Hall of Fame hitters in some of the highest-leverage plate appearances in baseball history. AMA,’ another wrote, mocking Boone.
‘Nestor Cortes hasn’t pitched in 6 weeks,’ a third added. ‘Putting him in this spot is the worst decision Aaron Boone could have made. Simply unbelievable.’
‘Aaron Boone sent Nestor Cortes out into the wilderness of the World Series and then intentionally walked one of the worst #Postseason hitters of our generation to face Freddie Freeman,’ another chimed in. ‘Good night.’
More to follow.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk