### Dodgers Stun Yankees with Walk-Off Grand Slam in World Series Game 1

In a much-anticipated clash between the Yankees and Dodgers, the first World Series game since 1981 between these two teams did not disappoint. The game saw a dramatic 10th inning finish, with Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman heroically stepping up to launch a walk-off grand slam against Yankees' Nestor Cortes. The Dodgers clinched a 6-3 victory at Chavez Ravine, leaving both teams—and their fans—with plenty to dissect.

Cortes, who hadn't taken the mound since mid-September, was just a single out away from earning a save. Yet, as the tension peaked, he delivered a fastball right into Freeman's hitting zone, changing the game’s fate. For Yankees manager Aaron Boone, decisions made throughout the match were called into question, especially the choices involving the bullpen.

Several critical moments during the game highlighted the Yankees' defensive lapses, which let the Dodgers capitalize on extra bases more than once. For example, Juan Soto's misjudgment in the fifth inning turned a potential double by Kiké Hernandez into a triple. Later, Shohei Ohtani took advantage of a misfield from Gleyber Torres in the eighth inning, which allowed Ohtani to advance to third base. Small mistakes like these, accumulated over the course of the game, significantly impacted the Yankees.

Boone’s decision to pull starting pitcher Gerrit Cole in the seventh inning also faced hindsight evaluation. Cole had allowed only four base runners all night and still managed a 98 mph pitch in the seventh. However, Boone opted for Clay Holmes to face Max Muncy after a challenging at-bat by Teoscar Hernandez. This bullpen maneuver had consequential ripple effects, with multiple relievers like Tommy Kahnle, Luke Weaver, and Jake Cousins stepping in to close the innings, but not without some struggles that led to the climactic 10th inning.

Yankees star Aaron Judge faced a frustrating night, going 1-for-5 with three strikeouts, continuing a less-than-desirable postseason performance. Boone might not have faced such intense decisions without more impactful contributions from Judge, who is typically a game-changer for the team.

Further, Boone's critical bullpen decision in the 10th inning—to stick with Cortes or switch to Tim Hill—proved pivotal. Hill had been instrumental throughout the American League Championship Series (ALCS), but Boone ultimately chose Cortes, who made a fateful error against Freeman.

Nevertheless, the Yankees do have some positives to take away. They got a good look at five of the Dodgers' key relievers, which might give them an edge in upcoming games. Jazz Chisholm Jr. also delivered his best playoff performance to date, showing aggressive base-running that nearly set up a winning score for the Yankees in the 10th inning.

In addition, there were unexpected moments such as Anthony Volpe being intentionally walked in the sixth inning, and Tommy Kahnle's ongoing streak of changeups—a surprising tactic yet to show its potential downside.

As the series progresses, the Yankees will need to tighten their gameplay and hope for stronger showings from key players, especially given that three of their last four games have already stretched into extra innings. With the unpredictable nature of these high-stakes matchups, fans can only brace for more gray hair as the tension builds.