Dodgers Win World Series Opener in History-Making Grand Slam

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit the primary game-ending grand slam in World Collection historical past with two outs within the tenth inning to offer the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in a dramatic opener Friday night time.

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 paying homage to Kirk Gibson’s game-ending homer that lifted Los Angeles over the Oakland Athletics in Recreation 1 of the 1988 World Collection at Dodger Stadium — some of the well-known swings in baseball lore.

Gibson, sidelined by leg accidents, got here off the bench and related off Corridor of Fame nearer Dennis Eckersley.

Freeman, who missed three video games in the course of the Nationwide League playoffs due to the damage 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 Collection between two of baseball’s most storied and profitable franchises, Recreation 1 actually delivered.

It was the third straight Collection 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 offer the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

The speedy Chisholm singled off Blake Treinen after which stole second and third for a Yankees group not identified for pace.