LOS ANGELES — Back in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series at Chavez Ravine, Kirk Gibson hit one of the most dramatic homers in baseball history.
And on this Friday night in Los Angeles, Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning to nearly the identical spot as Gibson, winning Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.
Los Angeles Dodgers 6, New York Yankees 3.
The sellout crowd of 52,394 went insane as Freeman rounded the bases, crossing home plate then greeting his father in the stands.
“I just screamed in his face,” Freeman said. “It was my Dad’s moment too.”
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The Dodgers were down to their last out after Shohei Ohtani flied out to left, with outfielder Alex Verdugo falling into the stands after making a spectacular catch, enabling the runners to move up a base to second and third.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone went to the mound, and instructed left-hander Nestor Cortes to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, bringing up Freeman.
Freeman swung at Cortes’ 92-mph fastball and sent it 423 feet into the night, landing in the right field bleachers for a grand slam.
Bedlam.
The Dodgers still aren’t quite sure how they pulled this off, surviving yet another home run by Giancarlo Stanton, a fan interference call and being shut down by New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
But, by the end of the night, there they were, dancing across the infield, mobbing Freeman.
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