LA Dodgers take Game 1 of World Series over NY Yankees with walk-off grand slam in extra innings
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees with a walk-off grand slam in extra innings to take Game 1 of the World Series.
The Dodgers won 6-3 thanks to a grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning from Freddie Freeman.
IT'S GONE
— MLB (@MLB) October 26, 2024
IT'S GONE
IT'S GONE
IT'S GONE
FREDDIE FREEMAN #WALKOFF GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/LlVU1ZGyGx
Freeman hit the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes 423 feet over the right field fence for the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history in the 696th World Series game.
Cortes was making his first appearance Sept. 18 after suffering a left elbow flexor strain.
Cortes relieved Jake Cousins (0-1) after Tommy Edman's infield single gave the Dodgers runners on first and second with one out.
Shohei Ohtani, the first batter to face Cortes, fouled out to left fielder Alex Verdugo, whose momentum carried him over the short fence and into the stands. Because he left the field of play, Chris Taylor, a pinch-runner for Gavin Lux, who walked, advanced to third and Edman to second.
Mookie Betts was intentionally walked to load the bases.
The Dodgers were hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position before Freeman's home run.
New York had taken the lead in the top of the 10th. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled with one out in the, stole second and third and scored when Alex Volpe grounded into a force out.
Jazz comes home in the 10th 👊 pic.twitter.com/NBZ98adIls
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) October 26, 2024
The Dodgers tied the score in the eighth. Ohtani doubled with one out, advanced to third when second baseman Gleyber Torres was charged with an error when right fielder Juan Soto's throw went off his glove and scored on Betts' sacrifice fly.
Mookie ties it! #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/7WUp745bIc
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 26, 2024
The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning when former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame standout Giancarlo Stanton hit Jack Flaherty's 1-2, one-out knuckle curve 412 feet over the left field fence for a two-run home run, driving in Soto, who singled leading off the inning.
The Dodgers opened the scoring in the bottom of the fifth. Kiké Hernandez tripled with one out and scored on Will Smith's sacrifice fly before a crowd announced at 52,394.
Blake Treinen (1-0), the last of six Dodger pitchers, was credited with the victory, allowing one run and one hit in 1 1/3 innings, striking out two and walking one.
The Dodgers are now three wins away from a World Series crown. The two teams are set to meet again Saturday in Los Angeles for Game 2 in the best-of-seven series. The game will air on Fox starting at 5:08 p.m.
The Game 1 winner has gone on to win the World Series in 75 of the previous 119 Series, 63%.
Before Game 1 kicked off, a special tribute video for Fernando Valenzuela played on the DodgerVision video boards. Valenzuela died Tuesday night at the age of 63.
"Forever a phenom, forever Fernando."
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2024
Rest in peace, Fernando Valenzuela 🕊️💙 pic.twitter.com/8y7UI1LEh5
A pregame tribute to Fernando Valenzuela 💙 pic.twitter.com/DmUiFXMaUn
— MLB (@MLB) October 25, 2024
A No. 34 patch will be worn on all Dodger jerseys for the duration of the 2024 World Series in honor of Valenzuela. A printed commemorative mural will adorn the left field wall of Dodger Stadium, adjacent to the left field stadium entrance gates.
In memory of our hero Fernando Valenzuela, the Dodgers will wear this uniform patch during the World Series and throughout the 2025 season. pic.twitter.com/7HozGMf2Tr
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 24, 2024
This is the record 12th time the Dodgers have faced the Yankees in the World Series and first since 1981. The Yankees have won eight times and the Dodgers three.
The Dodgers will be playing in the World Series for the 22nd time, 13th since moving to Los Angeles from Brooklyn following the 1957 season and first since 2020 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win their seventh World Series and first since 1988.
The Yankees will be making their record 41st World Series appearance and first since 2009. They have won a record 27 World Series championships, most recently in 2009.
This will be the first World Series game at Dodger Stadium since Oct. 28, 2018, when the Dodgers lost to the Boston Red Sox, 5-1, as the Red Sox won the Series, four games to one.
The entire 2020 World Series was played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas because of the coronavirus pandemic.
