LOS ANGELES — Yankees–Dodgers is a World Series matchup made in history, so it’s fitting that Game 1 was an instant classic. Here are four takeaways from the Dodgers’ 6-3 win in 10 innings.

1. Freddie Freeman delivers a swing for the ages

All he needed was the fist pump.

In a swing reminiscent of Kirk Gibson’s iconic blast in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Freddie Freeman, unable to play in the last game of the NLCS due to his injured ankle, conjured memories of Gibson’s blast with a walk-off home run in the first game of the 2024 World Series.

Freeman missed both Games 4 and 6 of the NLCS because the issues with his injured ankle, which he had dealt with all postseason, was starting to leak into his swing. In the days leading up to Game 1, however, he said there was no doubt he’d be in the lineup. He had just six hits this October, all singles, prior to Friday night.

He delivered his first extra-base hit of the postseason with a surprising triple off Gerrit Cole in the first, then saved the best for last. With the Dodgers down to their last out in the 10th inning, Freeman delivered the lasting blast in a Game 1 thriller with a grand slam off Nestor Cortes.

2. In battle of Los Angeles products, Giancarlo Stanton delivers

It was clear from Jack Flaherty’s first pitch, a 96.4 mph fastball out of the gate to Gleyber Torres, that this start would be different for the local kid pitching for his hometown team.

Coming off seven scoreless innings in Game 1 of the NLCS, Flaherty didn’t have it his last time out. The Mets tagged him for eight runs in three innings in Game 5. He walked four, didn’t record a strikeout, and perhaps most troublingly saw his fastball velocity descend to 91.4 mph, which he usually attributes to a timing issue.

With a week off to rest and figure out any mechanical tweaks needed, he figured it out.

At least, until another local product unloaded. 

Friday night was setting up for a dream outing for Flaherty, who once dominated the fields of Sherman Oaks Little League. Through five innings, he had bested last year’s American League Cy Young winner, leading 1-0 while going toe-to-toe against Cole.

And then came one gigantic swing from a different Sherman Oaks legend.

Giancarlo Stanton, as he so often has at the stadium he used to attend growing up, authored his own homecoming party.

In 25 career regular-season games at Dodger Stadium, Stanton had a 1.086 OPS. He once hit a ball out of the stadium. Two years ago, he obliterated a 457-foot home run into the left-field pavilion, where he used to sit as a kid hoping to get balls thrown to him from any player roaming the outfield, to earn All-Star Game MVP honors.”

“That Cali air, man,” Stanton quipped before the start of the World Series. “Grew up with it.”

On Friday, there wasn’t any ballpark in the major leagues that would have contained his game-changing shot. Once again, he was the one sending a souvenir to a fan in left field when he tagged a Flaherty curveball 116.6 mph off the bat 412 feet into the sky for a go-ahead two-run shot. There was no doubt about it, as the Yankees slugger continued a torrid October stretch. He has now homered in four straight playoff games and leads all players this postseason with six.

3. With all the focus centered on two patient, powerful offenses, Game 1 was a pitchers’ duel

Flaherty’s fastball wouldn’t sit at 96 mph all night, but even somewhere between 93-94 mph would represent a marked improvement from where it was and plenty to give the Dodgers an opportunity against Cole.

More importantly, he commanded it well, which made his curveball — which got 12 swings and misses — all the more effective against a patient Yankees lineup until Stanton’s blast.

That was all the support Cole needed to depart with a lead after six innings.

It did not appear, from the start, that it would go that way.

Shohei Ohtani crushed the first pitch he saw from Cole 373 feet and 106 mph off the bat, but it died in center field. One batter later, Mookie Betts sent a deep drive that was tracked down at the warning track. Then came the unlikeliest of triples as Freeman, whose right ankle was too hurt to play on in the NLCS clincher, booked it around the bases with some assistance in left field from Alex Verdugo. The Dodgers couldn’t bring Freeman home, but it appeared they were seeing Cole well.

Then the Yankees veteran ace, in his 21st career playoff start, locked in.

Cole retired the next 11 Dodgers batters until another triple, this one off the bat of October sensation Kiké Hernández, who legged it to third after Juan Soto tried to make the catch instead of play the ball off the wall. A sacrifice fly from Will Smith plated the first run of the night. That’s all the Dodgers would scratch across against Cole. After allowing four free passes his last time out in the ALCS, he was not as forgiving against the hardest lineup he has faced this October. He has now allowed two runs or fewer in 14 of his 21 career postseason starts.

The defense behind him, however, continued to offer costly gifts to the opposition.

Cole departed with a lead after Stanton’s sixth-inning blast that lasted until the eighth inning, when Ohtani sent a changeup from Tommy Kahnle off the right-field wall. He should have been held to a double, but Torres misplayed Soto’s throw to second base, allowing Ohtani to take third. The Dodgers, who didn’t have a hit with a runner in scoring position until Freeman’s blast, didn’t need one to score their second run of the night on a game-tying sac fly by Betts.

Verdugo, however, would make up for his earlier gaffe with an incredible grab that sent him head-over-heels into the stands with a crucial play against Ohtani in the 10th to bring the Yankees within an out of victory.

4. Watch your fingers

Torres nearly won the game in the ninth inning with a two-out drive off Michael Kopech that reached the seats … with some help.

The ball was caught by a Dodgers fan, who reached over the wall to make the play. Upon review, fan interference was ruled and Torres returned to second base. The Dodgers then elected to walk Juan Soto, who had reached twice on the night, to get to Aaron Judge with Blake Treinen set to come in. The Dodgers’ decision paid off, as Treinen got an inning-ending popout from Judge, who finished 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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While Scotland have undoubtedly improved since that defeat by their neighbours at Hampden, this is still a side who have questions to answer.

Martinez Losa was back in Budapest, where, just over three years ago, he led the national team for the first time.

The aim then was to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, but the Scots failed to do that after enduring an agonising play-off loss to the Republic of Ireland. Again, that was at home – at Hampden.

Only recently has the hurt from that near miss started to fade. Nine of the squad that faced Hungary also started against Ireland and felt the weight of the nation’s disappointment particularly deeply.

Now there is an unbelievably heavy expectation to, at least, reach the final play-off stage.

Martinez Losa is steadfast in his belief Scotland have developed since their last play-off heartache.

They were outmuscled in a particularly strong League A group last year but rediscovered their groove and grit in the recent unbeaten League B campaign.

Against Hungary, a fellow League B side, they faced an aggressive and powerful attack, the kind they would face at major tournaments.

The head coach, though, said Scotland are “stable” and “competitive”.

“I think we have shown the team that we are competitive,” he said. “We keep concentration and don’t make mistakes in key moments.

“We are a very stable team. We’re not afraid to defend properly and be concentrated.

“We had some good moments of football, but when you play away from home, it’s not simple.

“Although the score is tight, just 1-0, we didn’t concede and we know there’s no way we’re going to lose the game at home in Scotland.”

As Martinez Losa and his players fly back home to ready themselves for Tuesday’s second leg, there may be a few raised eyebrows greeting them given his dismissal of Hungary’s chances of a comeback.

MMA Fighting has UFC 308 results of the Topuria vs. Holloway fight card, live blogs for the entire main card, and more from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday afternoon.

In the main event, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will make his first title defense against former UFC champion Max Holloway. Topuria (15-0) has never tasted defeat in his pro career, while Holloway (26-7) has won four of his past five fights.

Khamzat Chimaev makes his long-awaited return against former UFC champion Robert Whittaker in the co-main event.

Check out the UFC 308 results below.

Main card (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET)

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway

Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Lerone Murphy vs. Dan Ige

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan

Prelims (ESPN+ at 10 a.m. ET)

Geoff Neal vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Mateusz Rebecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Abus Magomedov vs. Brunno Ferreira

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Chris Barnett

Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo

Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal

Ibo Aslan vs. Raffael Cerqueira

Manchester United hold talks with managerial candidates to replace Erik ten Hag, Kevin de Bruyne could leave Manchester City for Major League Soccer, Eintracht Frankfurt set price for Liverpool target Omar Marmoush.

Manchester United have already held talks with several managerial candidates as further pressure mounts on Dutchman Erik ten Hag, with Xavi Hernandez and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim among them. (Daily Mail), external

Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, could be on the move to Major League Soccer with San Diego FC as the Belgian’s contract expires in June. (GiveMeSport), external

Eintracht Frankfurt have set a value of between 50-60m euros (£41.6m-50m) for 25-year-old Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, whose representatives have held talks with Liverpool. (Sky Germany), external

Arsenal have drawn up a shortlist of world-class striker targets and Newcastle and Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 25, is top of the list. (TeamTalk), external

West Ham is a possible destination for Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell, 27, as the Englishman continues to struggle for playing time under Enzo Maresca. (Metro), external

Inter Milan are interested in Athletic Bilbao’s 24-year-old Spanish attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who has also been linked with Aston Villa. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Tottenham are determined to prevent 25-year-old Spanish right-back Pedro Porro from joining Manchester City, who see him as a replacement for England defender Kyle Walker, 34. (Football Insider), external

Liverpool and Arsenal are contenders to sign Spain and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, 17, as the La Liga club could be forced to sell their teenage forward amid ongoing financial difficulties. (Miguel Delaney via TeamTalk), external

Brazil winger Raphinha, 27, says he considered leaving Barcelona more than once in his first two seasons with the club following his move from Leeds. (ESPN), external