Pure elation. That’s what I read someone describe Freddie Freeman’s historic walk-off grand slam home run in the bottom of the tenth inning of the Dodger’s 6-3 win in game 1 of the 2024 World Series. There had never been a walk-off grand slam in World Series history, but this is a postseason in which the Dodgers are doing things they’ve never done before.
It was the perfect ending to a tight nail biter that was back and forth all night between the Dodgers and the Yankees on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. With the backdrop of the passing of Dodgers Icon Fernando Valenzuela, You could sense that the Dodgers needed something incredible to happen. The baseball world is still mourning his passing. Fernando’s death was like a gut punch to the Dodger’s organization and the city of Los Angeles. Fernando has always been Los Angeles’s darling. The legendary hurler who millions of Angelinos admired during his astonishing run in the Dodger’s 1981 World Series championship season. We’ve already lost too many great ones. We’ve lost Vin Scully. We’ve lost Tommy Lasorda. We’ve lost Don Newcomb. Losing Fernando right before the start of the World Series brought a wave of sadness over Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers paid tribute to the heroic hurler by painting his number 34 on the back of the mound. His family was in attendance and on the field before the game. You could tell that he was all around in spirit.
It was just when the Dodgers needed him. This has been one of the greatest postseason runs in Dodger’s history. Their comeback NLDS win over the Padres. The bullpen’s 33 consecutive scoreless innings. Clinching the National League pennant over the Mets at home. Ironically, their first pennant clinch at home since 1988 when they also defeated the New York Mets. Now they’re playing the New York Yankees in the World Series, a matchup the baseball world has wanted to see for years.
But how does Freddie Freeman’s grand slam home run rank in Dodger’s postseason history? It has uncanny similarities to Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series. Both home runs came in game 1. Both came from a hobbled star. Both were hit in nearly the same spot in the right field pavilions. Even Joe Davis’s call on the fox broadcast was similar to Vin Scully’s unforgettable call. She is gone. Even the final score was close. A 5-4 Dodgers win in 1988, compared to a 6-3 Dodgers win in 2024.
But lost in the delirium of Freddie’s blast was the rest of his teammates who all contributed to the win. Jack Flaherty limited the Yankees to just two runs on five hits over 5.1 innings. The Dodger’s Mr. October Enrique Hernandez tripled in the bottom of the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly from Will Smith. Shohei Ohtani’s double and smart base-running in the bottom of the eighth that allowed him to move to third on an errant throw from Juan Soto. Gavin Lux’s walk in the bottom of the tenth. NLCS MVP Tommy Edman’s infield single that put two runners on before Freeman stepped to the plate.
Emotions ran high in my house too. When Giancarlo Stanton launched a moonshot inside the left field foul pole to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead, You can tell the air was sucked out of Dodger Stadium and in my living room as well. Then the Dodgers rallied to tie in the eighth on Mookie’s sacrifice fly and the Dodgers had a fighting chance again. Relief was all around my wife and I.
FREDDIE WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM ON REPEAT. #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/73WwgKVLtk
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 26, 2024
My Wife has been the one person who has been with me throughout every postseason run over the last decade. She’s a true warrior. I told her when we first met about my Dodgers obsession. It was a package deal, she was getting me and the Dodgers. She always brings me up when I’m down. After every soul-crushing playoff defeat she’s been there to lift me up. So when the Dodgers were down 3-2 going into the bottom of the tenth, she was there to do it again.
She believes in manifestations. Picturing something you want in your head and making it come to fruition by bringing it into existence. I was far too pissed off that the Dodgers were losing to take it seriously. I get frustrated when the Dodgers lose and often I want to stew in my anger. Let me be ticked and leave me be.
She was serious about it tonight. She told me that the Dodgers were going to win this game and we had to manifest the win. Someone is going to hit a home run she told me. Do you believe me? I didn’t know. I was actually calmer than I normally am when the Dodgers are losing an important game, but I almost humored her. Ok, let’s do it. I was willing to try anything.
The Yankees were busy burning their closer, and the Dodgers had one final chance to either tie the game again or win it. She grabbed my hand and we rubbed her Mother’s ashes and we manifested the Dodgers win. We repeated over and over that the Dodgers were going to win. Believe it she said. So when Lux walked with one out in that tenth frame, there was suddenly hope.
Then Edman’s infield single. Lux tripped rounding second, but got back. The Dodgers had first and second with one out and Ohtani coming up. Ohtani fouled out to Alex Verdugo, who made a great catch falling over the wall into the stands in left field. According to the rules it was his throw from out of play that allowed the base-runners to advance. Now there was two outs, and I felt most of the hope drain from me.
The Yankees brought in Nestor Cortes, and intentionally walked Mookie Betts. With the bases loaded Freddie was coming up. It happened so fast because he swung at the first pitch. All of a sudden the ball was sailing into the pavilions. Freddie pointed his bat in the air, running up to his father after being mobbed at the plate by his teammates. If anyone deserved to be the hero after the year he’s had it’s Freddie.
There was screaming and yelling for joy at my house. Dodger Stadium shook with excitement. The Dodgers won on a walk-off grand slam from Freddie Freeman with two outs in the bottom of the tenth. Three more wins and the Dodgers erase all of the horrible playoff and World Series losses from the last decade. They’ll finally be able to stop the narrative that they can’t win a World Series in a full season. We’ll get a parade and these Dodgers will become October heroes. The Dodgers are finally doing it this year, and it’s the stuff of legends.
FREDDIE FREEMAN WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM. #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/5MIY5CaX6a
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 26, 2024
