World Series Game 1 recap: Dodgers defeat Yankees 6-3 on walk-off grand slam (2024)

Yankees manager Aaron Boone discusses late decision

Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 on Friday was Kirk Gibson-esque.

A gimpy Gibson hit perhaps the most famous walk-off in World Series history in Game 1 of the 1988 Fall Classic, 36 years and 10 days before Freeman’s heroics on Friday. Gibson took Oakland Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley deep on Oct. 15, 1988 to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead in a series it would eventually win.

Gibson was a surprise pinch hitter that night after he had injured both his legs during the NLCS.

Freeman’s home run wasn’t quite as dramatic, but he entered Friday’s Game 1 hobbled himself. Freeman hadn’t played since Game 4 of the NLCS because of a heel injury, and he had to labor through a triple earlier in the game.

He looked a little more fluid rounding the bases than Gibson did, but Freeman’s walk-off was certainly a worthy successor.

Fans are going absolutely bonkers here at Dodgers Stadium as Freddie Freeman launched a Grand Slam to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the 2024 World Series.

Every fan is on their feet screaming and waving blue towels.

Wow!

The Dodgers loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, and Freddie Freeman absolutely smoked the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes into the right-field bleachers for a walk-off grand slam.

Los Angeles leads the World Series 1-0.

Jazz Chisholm hit a one-out single, stole second and then stole third.

Anthony Volpe eventually brought him home with a grounder to second.

Austin Wells struck out looking to end the inning, but the Yankees have a 3-2 leaded headed into the bottom of the 10th.

The bottom of the order is coming up for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers can’t get anyone on base in the bottom of the ninth, and it’s time for extra innings.

Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisolm and Anthony Rizzo are due up for the Yankees to start the 10th.

It’s the third straight World Series Game 1 to go to extras.

After the Gleyber Torres fan-enhanced double and a Juan Soto walk, Aaron Judge popped out to end the top of the ninth.

Teoscar Hernández, Max Muncy and Kiké Hernández are set to bat for the Dodgers.

Wow.

Gleyber Torres briefly appeared to hit a go-ahead home run, but he’s on second after umpires called it fan interference. A Dodgers fan reached over the wall in left-center and caught the ball before it could hit the wall.

Juan Soto was intentionally walked and now Aaron Judge is up with the go-ahead run on second.

Freddie Freeman flew out to end the eighth, and it’s a 2-2 game headed to the ninth inning.

Austin Wells, Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres are due up for the Yankees. Can they get on base for Juan Soto and Aaron Judge?

Mookie Betts smoked a fly ball to center, and though it was caught, it was enough to score Shohei Ohtani.

It’s now a 2-2 game in the bottom of the eighth.

Shohei Ohtani juuuuust missed a home run to right field, instead hitting a double off the wall. After a short hop at second base caught Gleyber Torres off guard, Ohtani moved to third as the ball dribbled into the infield.

Mookie Betts is up with one out and the tying run 90 feet away.

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

Dodger Stadium is back rocking after Shohei Otahni’s hit off the center field wall. With the superstar at third base and Mookie Betts at the plate with one run, optimism high as the Yankees bring in their closer, Luke Weaver.

No baserunners for the Yankees in the top of the eighth.

Tommy Edman, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts are due up for the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning. If Los Angeles is going to make up a 2-1 deficit, this inning feels like the team’s best chance.

Another blown opportunity for the Dodgers.

After getting their first two batters on base — and having runners on second and third with one out — Los Angeles couldn’t bring anyone home.

That’s the second straight inning the Dodgers had a runner on third base that couldn’t score.

The Yankees take a 2-1 lead to the eighth.

Gerrit Cole gave up a leadoff single to Teoscar Hernández and was pulled.

Clay Holmes entered and hit Max Muncy with a 2-0 curveball.

Then Kiké Hernández hit a sac bunt to move the runners to second and third, but Will Smith popped out on the next at bat.

Gavin Lux is up for Los Angeles with the go-ahead run on second. Can he bring anyone home as the Yankees bring on Tommy Kahlne from the bullpen.

Aaron Judge finally got a hit, but Giancarlo Stanton struck out one batter later to end the inning.

Brusdar Graterol pitched the seventh for the Dodgers, and got them out unscathed.

Teoscar Hernández will get things started in the bottom of the inning.

Tommy Edman led off the bottom of the sixth with a double, but the top of the order couldn’t bring him home. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts grounded out and Freddie Freeman flew out to end the inning.

Edman was left stranded on third after moving over on the Ohtani grounder.

The Yanks take a 2-1 lead to the seventh.

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

Stanton’s 2-run home run silenced the Dodgers fans briefly but with Nirvana playing on the loudspeaker and Jennifer Lawrence on the big screen, fans are back on their feet waving blue towels during the bottom of the sixth.

Down a run, the crowd is just pumped to see bats coming alive.

A single, a walk and a single loaded the bases for Alex Verdugo, but he couldn’t capitalize, and the top of the sixth ends with the Yankees scoring only two runs courtesy of the Giancarlo Stanton homer.

Anthony Banda got the last two outs of the inning for the Dodgers.

Tommy Edman, Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts are due up for Los Angeles, which is looking to make up a 2-1 deficit.

Though Aaron Judge is likely to win the AL MVP, it’s been Giancarlo Stanton who has been the Yankees’ premier slugger this postseason.

Stanton entered Game 1 of the World Series batting .294 with five home runs and a 1.179 OPS. He’d also hit home runs in three straight games — and extended that streak to four Friday night.

Stanton’s 17 postseason homers are fourth all-time in Yankees history.

Across the country, New Yorkers in Madison Square Garden just started cheering "Let's Go Yankees" during the Knicks home opener against the Indiana Pacers after Giancarlo Stanton's go-ahead homer.

The Knicks are winning by 30 points in the fourth quarter.

Wow!

Giancarlo Stanton uncorked an absolute moonshot to left field for a two-run homer and the Yankees have a 2-1 lead. New York has finally gotten on the board against Jack Flaherty.

Stanton brought home Juan Soto — who led off the inning with a single —with the dinger, which was measured to be 412 feet and hit at 117 mph, according to the Fox broadcast.

Flaherty’s night is now over after 5 and 1/3 innings.

With the game-tying run on first and representing the go-ahead run himself, Aaron Judge struck out for the third time in the sixth.

Though Gerrit Cole finally surrendered a run in the fifth, both him and Jack Flaherty have pitched incredibly well in Game 1.

Considering the firepower on both sides, only one run combined for both teams through five innings is an impressive feat of starting pitching.

Both starters also threw for longer than normal. Yankees starters entered tonight averaging 4.9 innings a start, while Dodgers starters were averaging 3.6, per the Fox broadcast. (Los Angeles has had three bullpen games so far this postseason.)

How long will the managers ride their starters? Especially as the lineups keep turning over?

Flaherty will be tested in the top of the sixth, with Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton due up for New York.

Kiké Hernández hit a one-out triple to right field, and then Will Smith brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right field. Nifty slide by Hernández to avoid the tag and get home safely.

Los Angeles now leads 1-0.

The Yankees got a runner on first thanks to an Alex Verdugo single, but Gleyber Torres grounded out to third to end the inning three pitches later. Max Muncy made a nice play fielding the ball on a short hop.

Muncy will hit first for the Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth. We’re still scoreless.

Even the World Series is not immune to politics, with a week and a half to Election Day.

An anti-Kamala Harris advertisement paid for by the Donald Trump campaign focused on Harris’ stance on transgender Americans aired in between innings, and a woman sitting in the first row behind home plate appears to be wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, amidst a sea of blue Dodgers and Yankees hats.

The Dodgers go 1-2-3 for the third straight inning.

It’s been a stingy game so far, with the two teams combining for only three hits.

Anthony Volpe will bat for the Yankees to start the fifth.

Jack Flaherty retired the Yankees side with ease in the top of the fourth, the first inning all night New York didn’t have anyone reach base.

Mookie Betts will lead off the bottom of the fourth for the Dodgers.

A second straight 1-2-3 inning for Gerrit Cole, who’s allowed only one baserunner through three.

Giancarlo Stanton will open the fourth for the Yankees.

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

It's Los Angeles vs. New York so you can expect celebrities at the ballpark every night.

The strike zone has been all over the place through two-and-a-half innings.

It started pretty tight and seemed to be an advantage for hitters early on. But both pitchers have also seemingly found an extra inch (or two) on the right side of the plate. It’s a confusing zone, and worth keeping an eye on as the game goes on.

Jack Flaherty gave up a leadoff single, but a double play erased the threat, and then Aaron Judge struck out for the second time to end the top of the third.

The Yanks have had baserunners in every inning so far, but haven’t been able to capitalize.

Gerrit Cole struck out two as LA couldn’t get anything going. We’re headed to the third still scoreless.

Anthony Rizzo began the second inning with an infield single that bounced off Jack Flaherty's foot, but Flaherty retired the next three batters to get out of the inning unscathed.

Max Muncy will lead off the bottom of the second for LA.

Teoscar Hernández lined out to end the inning with Freddie Freeman stranded on third.

The Yankees avoided any damage, but LA had some good swings off Gerrit Cole in that inning. Both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts hit deep flyouts. Freeman and Hernández made good contact as well.

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

The Dodgers failed to score a run in the bottom of the first but they must be happy to see that from Freddy Freeman. The first baseman has only seven hits in 32 at-bats this postseason (.219 average) and just drilled a triple down the left-field line.

Dodgers hope the week off since the NLCS has helped Freeman recover from his ankle injury that he suffered during the last week of the regular season.

Shohei Ohtani comes out swinging, but he flies out on the first pitch from Gerrit Cole to deep center.

A misplay by Tommy Edman at short on a Giancarlo Stanton grounder gave the Yankees runners on first and second with two outs, but a groundout to second base by Jazz Chisolm ended the inning.

The Dodgers are now up to bat for the first time with Ohtani leading off.

Aaron Judge came to the plate for his first World Series at bat with Juan Soto on first, but Jack Flaherty struck him out on four pitches.

The Fall Classic (and the 12th meeting between the Dodgers and the Yankees) has officially begun.

The first pitch is a 96-mph fastball from Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. It was a ball to Gleyber Torres.

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

Orel Hershiser — World Series champion (and MVP) with the Dodgers in 1988 — brought out the ball for the mound for the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Game 1. That year he won the NL Cy Young Award after leading the NL in wins.

Herhiser paid tribute to Fernando Valenzuela, who died on Monday. His family were on the field and the team held a moment of silence.

Both teams posted on social media brief videos to get their fans excited for Game 1.

Everywhere you look in this World Series matchup, there are stars. While some fans might jeer at the Yankees and Dodgers being the last teams standing, MLB could not have asked for a more star-studded showdown between cornerstone franchisesheavily-linked by history.

We have the two biggest stars in all of baseball with Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, both of whom are expected to win MVP Awards in their respective leagues. We’ll see one of the best pitchers of this generation in Gerrit Cole. There’s Juan Soto, who could be looking at a free agent contract north of $600 million this winter.

The matchup also features former MVP Award winners Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Giancarlo Stanton, among a host of other big-name players. A competitive series will likely be the determining factor in terms of television ratings, but on paper, it looks like we’re in for a ton of fun.

With the Fall Classic getting underway on Friday night in Los Angeles, we gathered the Rotoworld Baseball crew to offer their predictions and insight for how the World Series will play out.

Read the full article here

Twenty-four of the last 30 Game 1 winners have gone on to win the World Series.

There are plenty of stars in this Series not named Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

There’s Mookie Betts, a former MVP who has already won two World Series.

There’s Juan Soto, a four-time All-Star and former champ who is in his first season with the Yanks. He is only 25 years old and inexplicably still looking for his long-term home.

There’s 34-year-old Giancarlo Stanton, a former NL MVP who is looking to cement his legacy in New York. (Oh, and he once hit a home run literally out of Dodger Stadium.)

Now teammates on the Yankees, tonight's starter Gerrit Cole and right fielder Juan Soto played on opposite sides in the 2019 World Series.

Cole started for the Houston Astros while Soto was on the Washington Nationals. The Nationals won that series in seven games.

The ball Shohei Ohtani launched for his50th home run of the season, having also stolen 50 bases, was bought at auction early Wednesday for more than $4.3 million.

Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers phenom,became the first playerto reach the 50/50 milestone in a season in September, widely considered one of the greatest achievements in baseball history.

There were 40 bids from around the world, with the successful bid coming at 12:26 a.m. ET. New Jersey auction house Goldin said it was the highest price paid for a baseball — or any other ball — in history.

Read the full article here

Reporting from Dodger Stadium

We're about an hour away from the action kicking off at Dodger Stadium and NBC News will be here for all the key plays during Game 1.

Yankeespitchers will have to deal withShohei Ohtaniin the2024 World Series.

But New York’s hitters won’t see the two-way superstar.

Los Angeles Dodgersmanager Dave Roberts on Thursday shut down the possibility of Ohtani pitching againstAaron Judgeand the Bronx Bombers in theFall Classic.

“There is no possibility, none whatsoever,” Roberts told reporters. “Thank you for asking.”

Read the full article here

Randy Johnson tells Dan Patrick where he keeps his Cy Young awards, how he would pitch to Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, what kind of pitcher he would be like in today’s game, makes his World Series pick, and more.

The "Dan Le Batard Show" plays Yankees-Dodgers World Series trivia and breaks down the 2024 edition of the Fall Classic with Adnan Virk.

The Dodgers lost one of their great players earlier this week when Fernando Valenzuela died at the age of 63.

The 1981 Cy Young and Rookie of the Year winner helped lead that team to a World Series title, coincidentally over the Yankees.

To honor Valenzuela, the team will wear a black uniform patch starting tonight and throughout the rest of next season.

The Yankees return to the World Series marks their first trip to the Fall Classic since 2009.

The 15-year absence tied the longest in their franchise history, which took place between 1981 and 1996.

This year, theFall Classicserves up an epic showdown between theLos Angeles Dodgersand theNew York Yankees— a World Series matchupthat fans and pundits have dreamed ofand dreaded in equal measure for decades.

The two teams with thebest records in baseball, two legendary franchises, bothrich with history and controversy, will take the field to claim the 2024 World Series title. But, in the court of public opinion, the entire country is divided.

A recent survey conducted byBetOnline.aghas given us a glimpse into where fan loyalties lie.

Using geo-tagged Twitter/X data and hashtags like #RepBX, #GoYankees, #DodgersNation, and #GoDodgers, BetOnline tracked over 160,000 tweets since last Sunday night, when the World Series matchup was officially set. The results reveal a divided nation: a majority of fans from 29 states are rooting for the Yankees, while 21 states rally behind the Dodgers.

Read the full article here

The last two captains of the Yankees, Aaron Judge and Derek Jeter, chat on the field at Dodger Stadium before Game 1.

The World Series features the home run kings from both leagues, which hasn't happened since 1956 when Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider for the Yankees and Dodgers.

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani each hit more than 50 home runs this season, and we've never had a World Series featuring two sluggers who walloped that many.

Both are expected to win the MVP as well, and it is also the second time since 1988 that the (presumptive) MVP winners will square off in the Series. The last time it happened was in 2012.

Yankees star outfield Juan Soto has two reasons to celebrate today: his team is playing Game 1 of the World Series and it's his birthday.

The slugger, who won a ring with the Washington Nationals in 2019, is turning 26 today.

Aaron Judge had some lofty compliments for fellow MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani.

At a Yankee workout in the Bronx, Judge called Ohtani "the best player in the game" and an "ambassador for this sport."

With four days off before Game 1 of the World Series, the Dodgers chose Jack Flaherty as their starting pitcher.

The right-hander has made three postseason starts, posting a 7.04 ERA with a .254 batting average against.

While he struggled in both his NLDS start against the Padres and his most recent NLCS start against the Mets — where he gave up eight earned runs and walked four in just three innings — he also delivered a scoreless performance in Game 1 of the NLCS, tossing seven innings and allowing only two hits.

Flaherty, 29, is a local talent, having grown up in Burbank and attended Harvard Westlake High School in Los Angeles.

No surprises with the batting lineup announced by the Yankees for Game 1. Giancarlo Stanton, coming off his ALCS MVP, is batting cleanup behind Aaron Judge.

And for the Dodgers, first baseman Freddie Freeman is starting and batting third despite battling an ankle injury.

Gerrit Cole will make his third career World Series start, having pitched twice for the Astros in 2019, with one win and one loss.

With a delayed season debut on June 19 due to nerve irritation in his pitching elbow, he was limited to 17 regular-season starts. This postseason, he is 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA across three starts, with his best performance coming in ALDS Game 4 against the Royals, where he threw seven innings, allowing just one run.

There's a number of injuries to note on both teams going into the World Series.

The MLB says that on the Yankees side, first baseman Anthony Rizzo is playing with two fractured fingers on his right hand, as fractures won't heal until the offseason. Pitcher Nestor Cortes, recovering from a left elbow flexor strain, has faced hitters in practice and is considered in play for the World Series roster. Infielder DJ LeMahieu is still hitting and fielding in case he’s needed after dealing with a right hip impingement.

As for the Dodgers, first baseman Freddie Freeman has played through a sprained right ankle and missed three games, but he should return for Game 1. Pitcher Alex Vesia missed the NLCS due to a right side injury but might be available for the World Series.

This will be the 12th time the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers meet in the World Series, the most of any two teams in Major League Baseball. While once a frequent match-up, it's one that hasn't been seen in over 40 years.

The pairing dates back to the 1940s when both franchises were based in New York. It has occurred 11 times since then, with the Yankees winning eight of the titles.

The teams last competed in the 1981 Fall Classic, with the Dodgers winning six games.

Games 1 and 2 of the World Series will be hosted at Dodger Stadium, thanks to the Dodgers having a better regular season than the Yankees.

Here's how the rest of the World Series schedule will play out:

Game 1:Dodger Stadium, Friday, Oct. 25, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 2:Dodger Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 26, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 3:Yankee Stadium, Monday, Oct. 28, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 4:Yankee Stadium, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 5:Yankee Stadium (if necessary), Wednesday, Oct. 30, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 6:Dodger Stadium (if necessary), Friday, Nov. 1, 8:08 p.m. ET

Game 7:Dodger Stadium (if necessary), Saturday, Nov. 2, 8:08 p.m. ET

The Yankees and Dodgers are the two largest markets in the MLB, entering the season with the second-largest payroll in the sport and the fifth largest, respectively.

The Yankees' total payroll allocations for 2024 equal $309,434,607, while the Dodgers' totals $241,010,117.

Game 1 of this year’s World Series will be played at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday at 8:08 p.m. ET/5:08 p.m. PT. All proceeding games will start at this time as well, and will be televised on FOX.

Those without cable can stream World Series games on platforms that offer FOX, such as Hulu with Live TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV and YouTube TV, as well as onFoxSports.com.

All games are also available on MLB.TV, though you’ll need authentication to a participating Pay TV provider to watch.

Read the full article here

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, who became baseball's first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases this season, is a top player to watch in the 2024 World Series.

This will be Ohtani’s first World Series appearance, despite a strong resume already including two MVP wins (with a third likely on the way).

Considered by many to be one of the greatest achievements in baseball, the ball he launched for his 50th home run sold at an auction Wednesday for over $4.3 million.

Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers before this season.