LOS ANGELES – Every day of the past month has been exhausting for Freddie Freeman. He has gone through daily treatment and hours of rehab before games, just hoping to suit up after spraining his right ankle during the final week of the regular season. Many days this postseason, even the act of walking was difficult for the former MVP.
But in search of his second World Series title and first with the Dodgers, nothing was going to keep him out of the lineup for Game 1 on Friday. And then, with the Dodgers in danger of falling 1-0 to the Yankees in the World Cup. Series, on a night when opportunities slipped through their fingers, the tenth inning offered more chances for redemption.
“I think you see the end result,” Freeman said after his team’s 6-3 victory. “I’m watching myself on television. This trophy is what gets you through the grind every day. …. That’s what’s worth it to me.”
With the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th, the stage was set for Freeman, who came into this World Series struggling to find his swing, a challenge as he dealt with constant swelling in his ankle. After a fly ball by Shohei Ohtani and an intentional walk to Mookie Betts, Freeman was ready to face the Yankees’ crafty left-hander, Néstor Cortés, with his team down a run.
The Dodgers first baseman hasn’t had many moments this October where he was able to come out ahead for his team. But it only takes one chance to change that.
A blow. A launch. One moment. As soon as they heard the crack of the bat, everyone in the packed Dodger Stadium knew what had happened.
Freddie Freeman didn’t wait long to make history vs. Nestor Cortes
Freeman demolished the first pitch he saw from Cortes, launching a 92.5 mph fastball 409 feet to right field and sending his team to victory. Raising his bat to the sky, he put the Dodgers and the city of Los Angeles on his shoulders.
With that swing, Freeman turned Game 1 of the 2024 World Series into an instant classic.
“It felt like nothing, just floating,” Freeman said after what was easily his best swing in weeks. “That’s the kind of thing, when you’re 5 years old with your two older brothers and you’re playing wiffle ball in the backyard, those are the scenarios you dream about. Two outs and bases loaded in a World Series game.
“For it to actually happen and for us to hit a home run and give ourselves a 1-0 lead, that’s the best thing ever.”
And it wasn’t just any exit. The World Series lends itself to something more dramatic. Freeman’s grand slam was the first in World Series history, closing the book on Game 1.
The moments that followed Freeman’s swing of a lifetime were pure joy, as his teammates filed out of the dugout, celebrating like kids on a playground. With 52,394 fans screaming and celebrating in a building that shook as the smooth voice of Randy Newman sang “I Love LA,” Freeman was mobbed at home plate.
“It’s possibly one of the greatest moments of baseball I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game.
“You don’t see teams celebrating after a game, a abandonment like that, but I think it was certainly justified. Man, it was a great game before that, but the way it ended, I couldn’t be more excited for our guys.”
Said starter Jack Flaherty, who pitched 5⅓ innings and allowed just two runs in the contest: “I didn’t see it go away. He got it right and there was no doubt. …Freddie is amazing.”
It was an instantly iconic moment rivaled only by the legendary swing of Kirk Gibson, whose game-winning home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series still lives on as one of baseball’s greatest postseason moments. Freeman added his name to that list with his walk-off slam.
He had the swing and the limp. The only thing missing was the double punch.
“I played the whole game, though,” Freeman corrected with a big smile when asked about Gibson’s competition.
Special father-son moment after the Grand Slam
In fact, Freeman has been struggling with a power outage lately. The grand slam was his first long hit since September 16. Until his triple in the first inning on Friday, he had not hit an extra-base hit this entire postseason.
But in Game 1, Freeman looked different. Even before his 10th-inning heroics, there was a confidence that didn’t exist before. During the NLDS and NLCS, Freeman’s routine was a daily routine focused on simply getting through the game. But heading into the most important at-bat of his career, he was looking to do damage.
That first baseman change could become important heading into Game 2 on Saturday.
“I love the story of this game. To be a part of this is special,” Freeman said. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time and to get to those moments, you dream about those moments. Even when you’re 35 years old and you’ve been in the league for 15 years, you want to be a part of them.
“It’s the kind of energy the crowd brought tonight. World Series Game 1: Everyone has been talking about this all week. For us to get that first win, especially like this, is pretty good, but we have three more to go.”
It was an incredible night for Freeman, the Dodgers, this postseason and the World Series, but it could have been even more meaningful on a micro level. After celebrating with his teammates at the plate, Freeman pointed behind home plate and began running toward the back wall.
When he got there, his father, Fred, was waiting for him. And just as father and son have done in the backyard all their lives, they shared a moment together. This time with more than 50,000 people sharing it with them.
“That’s mainly his moment because if he hadn’t thrown me out for batting practice, if he hadn’t liked baseball, I wouldn’t be here playing this game,” he said. “So that’s Fred Freeman’s moment.
“I just wanted to share that with him because he’s been there. “He’s been through a lot in his life too, and just to have a moment like that, I just wanted to be a part of it with him in that moment.”