Just one game in and this World Series has already produced another classic installment in the long, storied rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It seemed impossible that this series could live up to the frenzied anticipation that had dominated the build-up or become another memorable chapter in the 83-year-old rivalry these two teams share in the World Series alone.
But, with one swing of the bat on Friday, Freddie Freeman ensured that Game 1 did so, hitting the first ever walk-off grand slam in a World Series with his Dodgers trailing 3-2 at the bottom of the 10th inning and down to their last out. He jogged around the bases as Dodger Stadium erupted in delirium, celebrating their team somehow stealing a 6-3 Game 1 win.
Now, just a day later, the Yankees must regroup from their last-gasp loss for Game 2 on Saturday evening as they face the Dodgers on the LA team’s home turf once again.
For the Dodgers, Game 2 marks a golden opportunity to stamp their authority on the series while they are filled with confidence before they travel to New York for the next two games at least.
“To come out 1-0 is a huge start,” said Freeman after the game.
The Dodgers are now three wins away from a World Series triumph and, historically, the teams who have won Game 1 have gone onto win the series 121 of 191 times (65%) of the time.
Since 1995, that increases to 23 of 29 times (79%) and in the current 2-3-2 format, teams who have won Game 1 at home have gone on to take the series 68 of 101 times (67%).
But the Yankees are still remaining positive ahead of Game 2.
“We played that team really well for the whole entire game,” Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo said after their loss, per MLB.com. “At the end of the day, we’re the two best teams out here, so we’re going to come here with our heads held up high, with confidence, and go out here and compete again.”
Both teams are stacked full of star talent and the Yankees can rely on the likes of Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton to pull off the impossible, like Freeman did for the Dodgers.
The way in which the Yankees utilize their bullpen will be heavily scrutinized in Game 2 as well after manager Aaron Boone’s decision for Nestor Cortes to pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning. Cortes hadn’t pitched since September 18 after suffering a left elbow flexor strain, but was brought in to challenge the Dodgers’ left-handed pair of Ohtani and Freeman.
“If I wasn’t ready enough and I wasn’t healthy enough, I would not have done it. And they wouldn’t have allowed me,” Cortes said after the game, per MLB.com. “So I think we’re in a good spot. I’ll get another opportunity. We’ve got to win four games in this Series. It was right there on our fingertips, but we’re going to come back tomorrow strong.”
Carlos Rodón will start on the mound for the Yankees in Game 2, hoping to stifle the Dodgers’ offense, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be hoping to replicate his dominant pitching performance in June against the Yankees.
How to watch and full schedule
Every one of the best-of-seven series games will be broadcast on Fox in the US, with each contest starting at 8:08 p.m. ET.
The schedule is as follows:
Game 2: Saturday, October 26 – New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
Game 3: Monday, October 28 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
Game 4: Tuesday, October 29 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
Game 5*: Wednesday, October 30 – Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees from Yankee Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
Game 6*: Friday, November 1 – New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
Game 7*: Saturday, November 2 – New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers from Dodger Stadium, 8:08 p.m. ET
*if necessary