Freddie Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in extra innings in game one at Dodger Stadium.
With the sides locked at 2-2 after nine innings, Great Britain international Jazz Chisholm Jr led a Yankees rally to give them a slender lead in the top of the 10th.
But with the Dodgers down to their last out, the Yankees’ decision to intentionally walk the dangerous Mookie Betts, loading the bases for Freeman, backfired spectacularly.
The first game of the best-of-seven series began as a pitching duel as Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole dominated.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fifth inning as Enrique Hernandez, only the second Dodger to get on base by that stage, raced home on a sacrifice fly by Will Smith.
The Yankees, in their first World Series since 2009, bounced straight back as Giancarlo Stanton hoisted Flaherty for a two-run homer.
Both sides squandered opportunities by stranding baserunners, but the Dodgers drew level after Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani hit a double to centre field in the eighth, advanced to third base on a fielding error and Betts’ sacrifice fly drove him in.
The Yankees thought they had retaken the lead in the ninth when Gleyber Torres went deep to centre field, but as a supporter reached over to grab the ball before it hit the wall, a ruling of “fan interference” was upheld after a video replay, and Torres was sent back to second base.
Yankees talisman Aaron Judge, who had a disappointing night with three strikeouts, then stranded two runners as extra innings loomed.
In the 10th, Chisholm stole two bases before Anthony Volpe batted him in to make it 3-2.
Back came the Dodgers, with two men on base and the script surely written for an Ohtani walk-off – but after he fluffed his lines, Freeman put the seal on a memorable game.
The series continues on Saturday at the same venue, before switching to New York on Monday.
