Freddie Freeman delivered one of the biggest hits in Los Angeles Dodgers history with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to kick off the 2024 World Series dramatically. But the New York Yankees' failures cast an equally large shadow. Between another forgettable playoff performance from AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge and a brutal late-game decision from manager Aaron Boone, the story for the Yankees was a squandered opportunity to steal Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.
First things first, though, let's give Freeman his props. The 35-year-old suffered a severe ankle sprain on Sept. 26, and he has been visibly hobbled all postseason, spending three of the Dodgers' first 11 playoff games watching from the bench.
He was 7-for-32 with zero extra-base hits and only one RBI in the NLDS and NLCS, but with a few extra days to rest before the start of the World Series, he looked to be moving significantly better when he ran out to greet his teammates during pregame introductions. A few hours later, he hit the biggest home run of his life. The game-winning blast came on the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes, who had absolutely no business being in the game to begin with.
That fatal decision falls squarely on the shoulders of Aaron Boone. Let's back up. Cortes was inactive during the ALDS and ALCS, and for the final few weeks of the regular season after suffering a flexor strain on Sept.
18. After weighing the risk of further damaging his elbow and potentially needing Tommy .
