The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in stunning, walk-off fashion in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night. The Dodgers, who trailed by a 3-2 margin with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, scored the victory on a Freddie Freeman grand slam. Los Angeles is now three wins away from winning its second World Series of the decade, having previously lifted the trophy back in 2020.
If the rest of this World Series plays out anything like Game 1, then we're in for an all-time series. The opener had everything, ranging from the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history to fan interference to a memorable diving grab that ultimately went for naught. So eventful was Game 1 that we here at CBS Sports decided to honor the occasion by highlighting five particular standout moments from the night that was. (Do note that these moments are presented in chronological order.)
1. Stanton's hot postseason continues
The Dodgers struck first in Game 1, with catcher Will Smith plating a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly. The Yankees were quick to answer back, with designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton launching one of the oddest shaped home runs you'll ever see to give New York a 2-1 advantage in the top of the sixth. Take a look:
Stanton's homer left the bat traveling at 116.6 mph and carried 412 feet, according to Statcast. It had a launch angle of 35 degrees -- that, plus the pitch's movement and location, gave it the appearance of Stanton "golfing" it out to left field.
Additionally, Stanton's home run continued the tear he's been on all postseason. He entered Friday night having hit .294/.385/.794 with five home runs and 11 runs batted in over the course of his first nine postseason games this month.
2. Ohtani sets up game-tying run
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was making his first World Series appearance on Friday. You knew it was only a matter of time before he did something special.
Ohtani's moment came in the bottom of the eighth, when he nearly hit a home run off reliever Tommy Kahnle. Take a look:
Ohtani didn't just double there, however. He was also wise enough to advance to third base when the ball got away. Those extra 90 feet proved to be important, since they allowed Ohtani to scamper home to tie the game at 2-2 on a Mookie Betts fly out.
3. Fan interference on Torres double
Speaking of doubles that were nearly home runs.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres hit a ball to left-center field that initially appeared to clear the wall for a go-ahead home run. Upon review, it became obvious that a fan (wearing a Dodgers jersey, no less) had reached over the wall to snag the ball.
You can watch that scene unfold here:
Who can blame any Yankees fan that immediately thought of the Jeffrey Maier incident during the 1996 American League Championship Series?
Anyway, this being the era of instant replay, the umpiring crew used technology to correct the call, reducing Torres' hit to a double. The Dodgers subsequently intentionally walked Juan Soto to bring up Aaron Judge. Blake Treinen then entered and induced a Judge pop-up to end the threat.
4. Verdugo's all-out grab
An at-times unfortunate reality is that outcomes help determine which plays live on forever and which will be forgotten. In an alternate universe, one where the Yankees hold on to win Game 1, Alex Verdugo would be considered a New York hero right about now for the catch he made during the bottom of the 10th inning.
To set the scene: Ohtani hit a foul ball to left field that Verdugo ran down at the wall. His momentum then took him over the wall, going full heads over heels into the stands. It was one heck of an effort. Here's the play in all its glory:
Alas, in this reality, the Yankees blew the game. Verdugo's catch, then, will have to settle for a lesser place in history.
5. Freeman's walk-off grand slam
Of course we had to close out this piece with the hit that ended the game: Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam, the first in World Series history:
Freeman's home run was just the third walk-off home run while trailing in World Series history, according to MLB.com, joining Joe Carter's in 1993 and Kirk Gibson's in 1988. It was his second extra-base hit of the night, as he had previously tripled to left field (albeit with some assistance by Verdugo).
Freeman hadn't performed like himself entering Game 1, not since suffering a sprained ankle late in the regular season. Either the time off between the NLCS and the World Series helped him get in a better place physically, or the adrenaline that came with the situation allowed him to channel his inner Gibson.
Whatever the case, the Dodgers now lead the best-of-seven series 1-0 as a result.