LOS ANGELES – Freddie Freeman lifted his bat to the air and watched it fly.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ hobbling first baseman, who has played all month with a severely sprained right ankle, came with the bases loaded, his team trailing by one run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, and drew a walk. of a grand slam, electrifying a sold-out Dodger Stadium and sending his team to an improbable 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

It was the third World Series walk-off homer in franchise history, joining those by Max Muncy (Game 3 in 2018) and Kirk Gibson (Game 1 in 1988).

The Yankees had taken the lead in the previous half inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr., 5-for-34 in his first nine postseason games, hit a one-out single to right off Blake Treinen, then moved to second base stole and easily swept to third base and came around to score on a groundout.

But the Dodgers threatened again in the bottom half, putting runners on first and second base with one out and bringing Shohei Ohtani to bat. The Yankees called up left-hander Nestor Cortes, who had not pitched since September 18 due to a flexor strain, to join him from the bullpen.

Ohtani threw the first pitch into foul territory in left field, leading to a spectacular reaching catch by Alex Verdugo. Both runners advanced a base as Verdugo fell over the fence, allowing them to advance 100 feet. The Yankees then elected to intentionally walk Mookie Betts, loading the bases and setting up the left-left matchup with Freeman.

It didn’t work. Cortes’ first pitch was a 90 mph fastball to the inside corner. Freeman turned it on and sent it 400 feet to right field – a no-doubt that gave the Dodgers a thrilling victory.

The Yankees and Dodgers – two of Major League Baseball’s storied franchises, based in its two largest markets and boasting the best records in each league this season – will meet in the World Series for the twelfth time, on par with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics for the most common final-round matchup in all major sports. As if the matchup couldn’t be any more high-profile, it also involves Aaron Judge and Ohtani, the two transcendent stars who will each be the regular season MVP.

But another star shined in Game 1.