By Rory Carroll
Los Angeles (Reuters) – Freddie Freeman’s walk-off grand slam to lift the Dodgers to a 6-3 win over the visiting Yankees in Game One of the World Series on Friday immediately called to mind another Dodgers’ home run enshrined in baseball history.
Like Freeman, Kirk Gibson was dealing with injuries when he came to the plate in Game One of the 1988 World Series and delivered a walk-off home run for the ages, famously pumping his fists as he limped around the bases.
Freeman, who started at first base on Friday while Gibson came on as a pinch hitter, said there was one notable difference.
“I played the whole game, though,” he told reporters with a laugh.
Coming into Friday’s Game One, Freeman had missed three of the Dodgers’ 11 postseason games due to the injury and was in a hitting slump.
The Yankees chose to intentionally walk Mookie Betts to get to him in the bottom of the 10th inning, and Freeman made them pay, obliterating the first pitch he saw from Nestor Cortes and sending it, just as Gibson had, into the seats in right field as Dodger Stadium erupted.
“That might be the greatest baseball moment I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve witnessed some great ones,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters.
“I think we win three more games, that’s going to be right up there with (Gibson’s home run). Everything was the same outside of the fist pumps.”
Freeman’s epic shot, the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history, is a bright moment after a difficult stretch.
In July, Freeman’s young son Max was rushed to the hospital and later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological condition.
“It’s kind of amazing,” Freeman said.
“It’s been a lot these last few months, been a grind, but things have been going so well at home. Max is doing great. Obviously the ankle is the ankle. It’s a sprained ankle. It’s as good as it’s going to get.”
Roberts said Freeman deserved the huge reception he received at home plate from his teammates and the deafening roars of the 52,394 in attendance.
“The game honors you, and when you do things the right way, you play the right way, you’re a good teammate, I just believe that the game honors you. Tonight Freddie was honored,” Roberts said.
“It’s been a trying year for him but to his credit, he’s found a way to kind of keep moving forward for his teammates. So I couldn’t be happier.”
Game Two is on Saturday in LA.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by William Mallard)
