Game 1 of the World Series lived up to the hype of a Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Yankees fall classic, and Freddie Freeman was the hero. The Dodgers first baseman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to cap off a dramatic game. The Yankees had taken the lead in the top of the 10th, but Freeman came through with a 423-foot monster of a home run to give his team a 1-0 lead in the World Series.
It was the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. FREDDIE FREEMAN WALKOFF GRAND SLAM (via ) — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) Freeman has been playing visibly hobbled all postseason after spraining his ankle in the last week of the regular season. He didn't post a single extra-base hit in the NLDS and NLCS and sat in certain games to rest the ankle, then hit both the grand slam and a triple.
The play was highly reminiscent of Kirk Gibson's walk-off homer in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. In both cases, a first baseman hobbled by an injury and delivered a homer. Gibson's still reverberates through Dodgers history, and this one will too if the Dodgers can get it done in the next few games.
There was plenty of drama before the grand slam as well. The Dodgers scored the first run, but the Yankees responded with a titanic homer by Giancarlo Stanton. Both starting pitchers, Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty, had good starts, but Flaherty came out in line for the loss.
POSTSEASON STANTON GIANCARLO STANTON'S 6TH HOMER OF THE PLAYOFFS PUTS THE YANKEES UP 🔥😳 (via ) — Yahoo .