Blake Treinen pitched during the ninth inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 6-3 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
While most baseball fans are familiar with Kirk Gibson’s iconic walk-off home run, even the most dedicated Dodgers supporters might not know that Treinen was the winning pitcher. Freddie Freeman turned Treinen into a winner with a historic walk-off grand slam, marking the first of its kind in the 121-year history of the World Series, and sending fans into a frenzy as they likened Freeman’s homer to Gibson’s.
Treinen played a critical role in the ninth inning against the powerful Yankees. His teammates then pulled through in the 10th inning, with Freeman delivering a homer that was immediately deemed legendary.
Treinen remarked, “That was pretty sick.”
Throughout the postseason, Treinen has been a reliable asset in the bullpen. He only allowed one run in August, none in September, and just one in October before this game.
When the score was tied in the ninth, the Dodgers brought in Treinen to replace Michael Kopech, who left with a potential winning run on second base. The Dodgers intentionally walked Juan Soto to put Treinen against likely American League MVP Aaron Judge.
“There is peace about it,” Treinen stated. “You can either let the situation get too big, or you can live in it and enjoy it.”
Pitching to Judge was a “pick your poison” scenario for Treinen, but he managed to get Judge to pop up, despite Judge being a formidable hitter.
Kopech, who had pitched earlier, praised Treinen for his ability to step up in crucial moments.
As Treinen returned to the dugout, Kiké Hernández jokingly asked if he would be the one to end the game. However, the Dodgers went quietly in the ninth, and in the 10th inning, Treinen allowed a run as Jazz Chisholm Jr. advanced to score.
The Yankees took a 3-2 lead, and Treinen admitted he was initially disappointed about the potential loss.
Hernández reassured Treinen that the team would come through for him. As the game unfolded, Freeman ended up hitting the decisive homer, surprising everyone.
Treinen joined his teammates in celebrating Freeman, reminiscent of the iconic moment in 1988.
“There has never been a moment where I’ve seen a team stay on the field for 20 minutes after the final play, just soaking it all in,” Treinen reflected. “That was the most incredible moment in baseball I’ve been blessed to witness.”
While Freeman is the legendary hero of the night, Treinen earned his first World Series victory as a pitcher. He didn’t expect that milestone but expressed his gratitude.