Dodgers make Aaron Boone pay with World Series-changing Freddie Freeman walk-off

One out and two runners on base, with just one run separating the leading team from the trailing one, is a huge situation in any game, even in the dog days of summer. But when it's Game 1 of the World Series, the Dodgers are the ones that are trailing behind the Yankees, and LA's lineup has reset to the top of its three-MVP lineup? That's what Joe Davis would call "impossible theater."

Everyone, Dodgers and Yankees alike, was looking to play the hero here. In the late innings, Jazz Chisholm was the closest the Yankees had gotten, with a one-out single in the top of the 10th and then two stolen bases before eventually being scored by Anthony Volpe on an RBI groundout to give the Yankees the lead.

The Dodgers were down to their last three outs in the bottom of 10th, with the bottom third of the lineup coming up. Just one of them had to reach base safely in order to get Shohei Ohtani to the plate. Will Smith flew out, but Gavin Lux walked to all but guarantee an Ohtani at-bat, provided Tommy Edman avoided a double play.

And he almost didn't. He hit a grounder past second, which Oswaldo Cabrera dove at but couldn't come up with, and then it was Ohtani's turn with one out.

Ohtani ended up flying out — and not deep enough to move runners up — but this is the thing about having three former MVPs at the top of your lineup. Get one out, another follows.

After calling in Nestor Cortes from the bullpen for his first postseason appearance this season, the Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts to load the bases and get to Freddie Freeman, who had a triple (his first extra-base hit of the postseason) in the top of the first. It was clear why the Yankees would rather pitch to Freeman. His ankle had been hindering him throughout October, and he was batting just .242 in the postseason after that triple.

All it took was one single pitch from Cortes, a fastball at the edge of the zone. Freeman knew that was his pitch immediately. It traveled 423 feet — a grand slam walk-off for Freddie Freeman.

Freddie Freeman smashes a walk-off grand slam against Nestor Cortes to lead Dodgers to victory in World Series Game 1

What in the world was Aaron Boone thinking calling in Cortes, a guy who was left off the ALDS and LCS rosters and hasn't pitched since Sept. 18 with an elbow strain? Tim Hill was literally right there, warming up next to Cortes in the bullpen.

That's not for Dodgers fans to worry about, though. Only to celebrate. A helpful Fox graphic informed us sometime during the 10th that 63% of World Series Game 1 winners have gone on to win the whole thing.

Freeman's legacy in the game has been solidified, but he turned himself into a Dodgers legend with a single swing. Three more wins to go.