In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened! Down 3-2i n the bottom of the 10th inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases, and then the crippled Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off GRAND SLAM! If the Yankees can recover from this, then they deserve to win the World Series! They can’t!
Vin has the call:
We watched every pitch. Well, maybe Shadrack was sleeping, but Patty and I were awake. What a game! This is right there with Kirk Gibson’s Home Run in Dodger Lore!
Dodger Ramblings
- I expect Brett Honeywell to at least look toward heaven before uncorking a screwball, which he learned from his father, who was taught the pitch by his cousin — Mike Marshall. Honeywell was a fan of Fernando, even before he became a Dodgers, and they had “talked shop” about the screwball. One last time, Brett!
- Some blogs and media types actually gave the Yankees the edge at 1B with Anthony Rizzo over Freddie Freeman. Ha, Ha! Hobbled Freddie Freeman with a triple and a grand slam! Freddie Freeman now has baseball immortality! Rizzo over Freeman? Silly! Some fans even accused Freddie of being selfish for playing. As a matter of fact, his ankle looked pretty good last night and so did his bat!
- Some fans actually did not want Jack Flaherty to start, because all they see is his last start. Myopia at it’s best! Jack was solid if not spectacular.
- Blake Treinen gave up a run, but his brothers picked him up!
- See why I have no predictions? Who the hell could even dream this up?
Discussion (25)
Disagree, not disagreeable
No, not a free speech unbeliever at all. Fear that this country is about to become the Trumpist States of Americna.
I’m sick of your right-wing BS! Goodbye – I quit your website after years of reading it first every morning.
I personally enjoy the interplay Soto has with the pitcher. He makes the game between hitter and pitcher fun to watch. He understands he’s facing a formidable opponent. And on a pitch that beats him he usually acknowledges he got beat and the pitcher won that time.
It’s a beautiful game.
When Soto wins he celebrates. Trashy ? It’s more class than trash.
GO DODGERS
Is Soto trashy?
He plays with a lot of swagger, which some people don’t care for. But I’ve read mostly good things about him as a teammate.
He’s a helluva hitter, and maybe the Dodgers will pursue him… but AF & Associates will have a lot of options this winter.
Sasaki? He might want to join Ohtani and Yamamoto… but it’s not like the Dodgers need to build their Japanese following at this point.
Adames? He’d solidify the infield, allowing Edman to shift to CF and more of a UT role. We know AF has always liked Adames, and he could shift to 3B in a few years.
Burnes? He’s probably the most durable ace-quality SP in the game. Is it too much to ask for just one non-injury-prone pitcher for the coming six-man rotation?
And of course Teo and Flaherty have earned serious consideration.
As for Buehler, his next start could decide whether the Dodgers try to keep him around.
For the cost of Soto, AF might be able to snag both Teo and Adames. Or come close, anyway.
I still expect Mookie to shift to 2B permanently. If so, Lux is dealt. How about Lux + Wrobleski + Knack/??? in a big package for Crochet? The woeful White Sox should be wheeling and dealing this winter.
Six-man rotation candidates: Shohei, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Kershaw, Gonsolin, May–yikes, a lot of injury potential there…. And maybe Flaherty, Buehler, Crochet, Burnes, Sasaki, ???…. Who am I forgetting?
So Roberts a ‘genius’ yesterday. Takes out Yamamoto at 86 pitches and Banda gets two outs. Leaves a gassed Treinen in to face Volpe. If he gets a hit, game tied or worse. Then Vesia gets final out on one pitch. So I guess he made all the ‘right’ decisions on bullpen management this time. Managers manage, players got to play
The Dodgers boarded their flight to New York late Saturday night, but Ohtani is expected to undergo his examination in Los Angeles and then fly out to New York on his own to meet the team thereafter.
While Roberts cautioned the Dodgers would not have a full sense of the extent of Ohtani’s injury until having the MRI, he indicated there is initial optimism.
“The strength was great, the range of motion good. So we’re encouraged,” Roberts said. “But obviously I can’t speculate because we don’t get the scans yet. Once we get the scans, we’ll know more. Again, with the strength, the range of motion good, that’s certainly a positive.”
Roberts also said he had been informed Ohtani’s injury was a subluxation of the shoulder.
The Yanks are dangerous and especially will be in New York. It took a miricle for Dodgers to take game one just to remind Dodgers how dangerous. Game 3 will be like the odds stacked in Yanks favor but Dodgers are pretty damn dangerous their own selves and momentum can overpower fear. It happened in 1963 and just might happen again. These DODGERS are pretty mighty and their pitchers sure ain’t weak. A sweep is a tall challenge and miricles come rarely , but my friend Watford accross the pond said Dodgers in four. My fingers are crossed and the champagne is chilling in my refridgerator. Two more games, two more games, etc,etc………..
What a game! The NYY made things interesting in the 9th but the Dodgers have too may weapons. I don’t recall a Dodgers team being this deep. This roster is special.
This series is by no means over, but we are closer to the promise land than the Yankees.
Go Dodgers!
Soto vs. Ohtani: Ohtani was (is) a great business move, the Dodgers will make money on that move because of the Asian market plus tv, merchandise, etc. I’m not sure you would get the same return on the dollar with Soto. No question Soto is a generational talent but at the end of the day MLB baseball is a business. The Dodgers ownership group are great business people. I’m not sure how much that will play into the decision but the Ohtani contract though as risk has much more upside. Isn’t this series great so far!!!
Sweep
I know we expect him to be perfect, but Ohtani looks indifferent at plate tonite
Stephen Nelson’s Call of Freemans HR on the Radio:
Sometimes Plaschke gets it right:
https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-10-25/freddie-freeman-dodgers-yankees-world-series-kirk-gibson
It starts out…
“A one-legged hitter.
A walk-off World Series home run.
A Game 1 Dodgers victory swiped from a stunned opponent just one out from defeat.
Improbably, impossibly, did this really happen again?
Did Freddie Freeman just become Kirk Gibson, replaying the franchise’s greatest moment 36 years and endless heartbreaks later?
It sure sounded like it Friday night, the ball blasting off Freeman’s bat in the 10th inning against New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes as if it were a pack of firecrackers.
It sure felt like it, the ball soaring into the right-field pavilion while Dodger Stadium rolled and shook with a roar that could be heard all the way to Times Square.”
8:08 PM ET
Yankees (94-68) 0-1
Dodgers (98-64) 1-0
SP Carlos Rodon L
16-9 3.96 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
2B G. Torres R
RF Juan Soto L
CF Aaron Judge R
DH G. Stanton R
3B J. Chisholm L
1B A. Rizzo L
SS A. Volpe R
C Austin Wells L
LF Alex Verdugo L
SP Y. Yamamoto R
7-2 3.00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH S. Ohtani L
RF Mookie Betts R
LF T. Hernandez R
1B F. Freeman L
CF Tommy Edman S
2B E. Hernandez R
3B Max Muncy L
C Will Smith R
SS Miguel Rojas R
74° Wind 6 mph Out
Kudos to Dave Roberts. He’s come a long way in his handling of the bullpen. He doesn’t pitch or hit for the team, but he is making great decisions this year.
I believe Freddie Freeman’s grand slam is the first world series grand slam hit by a Dodger ever!
I know I’m a dreamer, nothing but a dreamer. But! Could there be a Gibson moment 2.0? Wow, Miggy Ro steps to the plate………….Awesome! Although I think it might be Mr. Rocktober. Damn this is fun!
Book em
I watched Freddie Freeman in the playoffs the year or 2 years before he began his Dodger career and I was amazed at how easy he could hit the ball anywhere he wanted.He was on a different level than everyone else.I thought I have never seen anyone that good.I know Freddie is hurt, and that in some minds would have been smart,but Freddie is the last person I would want to face.l have always been his huge fan.Love that Freddie Freeman.
Two thoughts: 1) glad for Blake Treinin and Tommy Edman that it ended the way that it did. Both are such competitors that even though they contributed mightily, they would have blamed themselves for the loss (incorrectly so, but that is the way great competitors think). 2) for all of Andrew Friedman baseball knowledge, his greatest skill appears to be in the chemical makeup of the team. I wish I could freeze this team in time and play them every year forever. Reality is that Soto might be a Dodger, his numbers look like dodger numbers (seeOBP), but I’ll leave it to our amazing front office to decide if he is right for our chemistry.,
Heroes:
1. Freeman
2. Flaherty
3. Edman
4. Lux
5. Graterol/Vesia
H.M. to Ohtani
So many similarities to Kirk Gibson’s epic home run in ’88., 1st game of the WS at home in Dodger Stadium vs Oakland, both injured players, both left handed batters, 2 outs with the game on the line and almost the same area where both home runs were hit.Only thing missing was Vince Scully with the call.
Thanks for mentioning Soto’s fielding. I feel the same way. And although Verdugo had a couple of good plays it seemed like they were only good because of late jumps. What a great game!! Go Dodgers!!!!!
The Hollywood writers couldn’t have come up with a better screenplay if they tried. Oops, their probably on strike again anyway. This was for all of us that love the Dodgers! So cool. I think somebody here predicted that long ball a couple days ago. Hmmm.
Book em
Kudos to Edman for hanging in there after two horrible strike calls before he gets that hit
Game two starter, Carlos Rodon’s record is worst on the road than at home in Yankee Stadium. He also gives up a bunch of home runs. Should be an interesting game if Yamamoto can ptch like he did in June at Yankee Stadium.It looks to me that they’re going to pitch around Soto and not let him beat us and take their chances with Judge. Also whoever signs Soto next year, he is a terrible defensive outfielder.Good luck to the organization that signs him for supposedly $600 million.