This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw the team start the 2024 World Series in dramatic fashion thanks to Freddie Freeman delivering a walk-off win over the New York Yankees in Game 1.
Excitement and anticipation was at an all-time high with the Yankees and Dodgers meeting in the World Series, renewing a historic rivalry, and the opening game at Dodger Stadium certainly did not disappoint.
Will Smith’s sacrifice fly provided the Dodgers with a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning, but the Yankees immediately responded behind Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer off Jack Flaherty in the sixth.
A sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts tied it in the eighth, and the game ultimately went into extra innings. The Yankees pushed a run across against Blake Treinen in the 10th inning and set the stage for Freeman’s heroics.
Though, plenty needed to occur before his at-bat.
Yankees reliever Jake Cousins started the bottom of the 10th by retiring Smith. Gavin Lux then worked a walk and Tommy Edman reached on a fortunate infield single.
That prompted the Yankees to call on Nestor Cortes, who retired Shohei Ohtani on just one pitch. That came thanks in large part to Alex Verdugo making a catch in foul territory that saw his momentum carry him into the stands. Per MLB rule, both runners were permitted to advance on the play.
That seemingly influenced the Yankees to intentionally walk Betts. With their lead just one run, Betts didn’t represent any significance on the bases and it set up a left-on-left matchup with Freeman.
In a moment etched forever in Dodgers history, Freeman turned on a 92.2 mph fastball that was inside, sending it into the pavilion in right field for a walk-off grand slam.
Dodger Stadium roared and so did Freeman while rounding the bases. It was a release of joy for the win but also on a personal level in what had been a challenging year.
“It’s been a lot these last few months, been a grind, but things have been going so well at home. Max is doing great. Obviously the ankle is the ankle. It’s a sprained ankle. It’s as good as it’s going to get. But when you get told you do something like that in this game that’s been around a very long time — I love the history of this game — to be a part of it, it’s special,” Freeman said after the walk-off win.
“I’ve been playing this game a long time, and to come up in those moments, you dream about those moments even when you’re 35 and been in the league for 15 years, you want to be a part of those. It’s the kind of energy the crowd brought tonight. Game 1 of the World Series. Everyone’s been talking about this all week. For us to get that first win, especially like that, that’s pretty good, but we’ve got three more to go.”
Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam ball sold
Freeman’s walk-off grand slam represented the first in World Series history. At the time it also the fourth walk-off home run in Dodgers postseason history. Of that group, only Freeman and Kirk Gibson did so in the World Series, coincidentally both in a Game 1.
Freeman’s grand slam ball ultimately was auctioned and sold for $1.56 million, which was the third-highest purchase price for a home run.
At the time of the sale, it was bested only by the home run ball that put Shohei Ohtani into the 50-50 club, which sold for $4.392 million, and Mark McGwire’s 70th homer from the 1998 season that reached $3.05 million.
Just behind Freeman’s grand slam ball was Aaron Judge’s American League-record 62nd home run, which garnered $1.5 million via auction in 2022.
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