There was no way the Dodgers and Yankees could live up to all of the hype surrounding the 2024 World Series, right?

These things are duds more often than not.

But if Game 1 of the Fall Classic at Dodgers Stadium was any indication, you better buckle up because it’s going to be a long and wild ride.

New York’s Gerrit Cole and LA’s Jack Flaherty squared off as mound opponents, and they delivered on their end. Cole pitched six strong innings, allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out four and walking none. Cole left the game with a 2-1 lead thanks to a two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton in the top of the sixth inning that erased a 1-0 deficit.

Flaherty was on the mound for the Stanton shot and had been fairly masterful up to that point, giving up four hits and no runs while striking out six batters and walking one. However, Stanton’s home run changed those numbers and put him on the losing end of the equation. Flaherty was immediately lifted from the game, and the bullpen immediately got into trouble by loading the bases with two outs. Fortunately, reliever Anthony Banda was able to strike out Alex Verdugo and limit New York’s damage to just two runs.

It was a battle of the bullpens from that point on, and the score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning when Mookie Betts drove in Shohei Ohtani with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at two.

The ninth inning was a quiet one, which meant that Game 1 of the 2024 World Series would be headed to extra innings. Either way, this showdown between two of the most popular brands in all of team sports would end in a memorable fashion, but how memorable, and who would be the hero?

The Yankees tried to author their dream ending in the top of the 10th inning. Jazz Chisholm hit a one-out single and then stole second base. Following an intentional walk to Anthony Rizzo, Chisholm stole third. Talk about your big apples. It paid off when Anthony Volpe grounded to shortstop, allowing Chisholm to score the go-ahead run to make it 3-2, Pinstripes.

It was up to the Dodgers to answer in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Gavin Lux got things started with a one-out walk. Tommy Edman followed with an infield hit, putting men on first and second with one out. Nestor Cortes came on to relieve Jake Cousins and set up a showdown with the man, Ohtani. Talk about your storybook ending. Unfortunately, Ohtani fouled out to left field, but the hidden story may have been that the LA baserunners moved to second and third on the play. Betts was then intentionally walked to load the bases. Up to the plate stepped Freddie Freeman. Cortes vs. Freeman. Certainly not the star-power matchup of closer Dennis Eckersley and the very injured Kirk Gibson in the bottom of the ninth of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, but would it have the same memorable ending?

Yes.

Freeman swung at the first pitch he saw and launched it to right-center field for a grand slam to give the Dodgers a thrilling 6-3 victory. The home crowd of 52,000-plus went nuts, as did Freeman’s teammates, who gathered around home plate to give him a hero’s welcome.

And that was just Game 1.

What other dramatics await? In a matter of hours, we will find out with the first pitch of Game 2 of the 2024 World Series at 8:08 p.m. on Saturday night at Dodgers Stadium.