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The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman cements his legacy as a New York killer
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The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman cements his legacy as a New York killer

LOS ANGELES – Mets and Yankees fans probably agree on one thing.

Neither of them wants Freddie Freeman to play a big role.

The former Braves star, who has tormented the Mets for years, had his first truly big hit Friday night against the Yankees — and what a hit it was.

Freeman, still dealing with a sprained right ankle, hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history.

His no-doubt two-out kick off Nestor Cortes Jr. gave the Dodgers a 6-3, 10-inning win in Game 1.

Freddie Freeman's grand slam gave the Dodgers a win in Game 1 of the World Series. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

It was his Kirk Gibson moment, 36 years after the disabled slugger hit a narrow home run against the A's to win Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

“It felt like nothing, just kind of floating,” the star first baseman said. “These are the kinds of things when you're five years old playing Wiffleball in the backyard with your two older brothers, these are the scenarios you dream about – two outs, bases occupied in a World Series game.” That it actually happens and If we hit a home run and put the ball up 1-0, that’s the best thing right away.”

The ankle limited Freeman so much in the NLCS against the Mets that he was out for Game 4.

He hadn't done much in the postseason, managing just one RBI and an OPS of .461.

But in Game 1 of the World Series, he looked more like himself.

Freddie Freeman knew his home run was gone. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

In the first inning, he hit a triple on the opposite field, assisted by Alex Verdugo, who ran the ball over and slipped on the turf, and had mostly strong hits.

The break from the end of the NLCS last Sunday night to the start of the World Series five days later certainly helped.


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“Last week was really good for me,” he said. “The first time I ran was when I ran to high-five my teammates as we were introduced. I tried to avoid running as much as possible this week and treated it as best I could. So I felt pretty good today. I don’t feel it at the moment, so that’s a good thing.”

Freddie Freeman also scored a triple on Friday evening. Jason Scenes/New York Post

Not for the Yankees. In the 10th inning, with a one-run lead, they elected to pitch to Freeman instead of Mookie Betts after Shohei Ohtani flied out for the second out with two runners on base.

Freeman wasted no time. He turned the first throw he saw from Cortes and sent it into the seats, 409 feet away.

After the homer, Freeman made sure to find his father, Fred, and celebrate with him.

“(My dad) has been there since I was a little boy and gave me batting practice every day,” he said during his on-field interview with Fox. “This isn’t my moment, it’s his moment.”

His blast not only gave the Dodgers a dramatic win in a classic opener of a potentially memorable World Series, it also made history. No other player has ever finished a Fall Classic game with a grand slam.

“That’s pretty cool,” Freeman said. “It’s going to be hard to sleep tonight.”

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