LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit the primary game-ending grand slam in World Sequence historical past with two outs within the tenth inning to provide the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a dramatic opener Friday evening.
Hobbled by a badly sprained ankle, Freeman homered on the primary pitch he noticed — an inside fastball from Nestor Cortes — and raised his bat excessive earlier than starting his trot because the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.
It was harking back to Kirk Gibson’s game-ending homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Recreation 1 of the 1988 World Sequence at Dodger Stadium — one of the crucial well-known swings in baseball lore.
Gibson, sidelined by leg accidents, got here off the bench and linked off Corridor of Fame nearer Dennis Eckersley.
Freeman, who missed three video games through the Nationwide League playoffs due to the harm to his proper ankle, didn’t have an extra-base hit this postseason till legging out a triple earlier on Friday.
On this much-hyped, star-studded World Sequence between two of baseball’s most storied and profitable franchises, Recreation 1 definitely delivered.
It was the third straight Sequence opener to go additional innings.
Within the high of the tenth, Anthony Volpe grounded right into a fielder’s option to shortstop, scoring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third after he stole two bases, to provide the Yankees a 3-2 lead.
The speedy Chisholm singled off Blake Treinen after which stole second and third for a Yankees crew not recognized for pace.
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