“floating.”

“For it to actually happen and get a home run and walk it off to give us a 1-0 lead (in the Series) — that’s as good as it gets right there.”

Hobbled, he raised his bat high before beginning his trot as the sellout crowd of 52,394 roared.

“I cannot believe what just happened,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s what makes the Fall Classic a classic, right, because the stars come out and superstars make big plays, get big hits, in the biggest of moments. ... I’m speechless right now.”

After the home run, Freeman ran over to his father.

“I was just screaming in his face. I’m sorry, dad,” Freeman said, laughing. “He’s been there since I was a little boy, throwing batting practice to me every day. So this is a moment, it’s my dad’s moment.”

The Yankees will try to even the series today in Game 2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to start for the Dodgers against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón.

Just when we all thought dominant starting pitching in the postseason had gone the way of dodo birds, eight-track tapes and affordable housing — up popped a pitchers’ duel between Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty.

Cole gave up a two-out triple to Freeman in the first inning. Alex Verdugo misplayed the carom off the wall in foul territory, allowing the gimpy-legged (but rested) Freeman to get all the way to third.

Cole retired Teoscar Hernandez to strand Freeman — and 10 more Dodgers in a row after that. Kiké Hernandez broke the string when he lined his own triple into the right-field corner in the fifth inning. This time, Will Smith lined a sacrifice fly to right field, Hernandez tagging and just beating the throw home with a headfirst slide for the first run of this World Series.

Flaherty was coming off a troublesome start in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series when he gave up eight runs and lasted just three innings.

In his first three scoreless innings against the Yankees on Friday, his fastball averaged 94.2 mph and he got nine swings-and-misses.

Nonetheless, the Yankees had runners on in four of the first five innings against Flaherty. He danced away from danger. Until he couldn’t.

Juan Soto led off the sixth inning with a single. Flaherty struck out presumptive American League MVP Judge for the third time in the game.

That brought up Giancarlo Stanton, who looked bad as he swung and missed at two low breaking balls. After Flaherty misfired with a high fastball, he went to the well one more time. Stanton golfed that one high into the air 412 feet down the left field line and over the Dodgers’ bullpen for a two-run home run.

It was Stanton’s 17th career postseason home run, sixth this postseason (he was the ALCS MVP) including one in each of the past four games.

Shohei Ohtani’s face is all over the promotional material for the World Series. He left his mark on Game 1 — and the right-field wall — with a double that missed going over by just a couple feet in the eighth inning. The Yankees misplayed the relay throw, allowing Ohtani to go to third base. He trotted home from there when Mookie Betts flied out to center field, tying the score.

More drama awaited at the left field wall.

With two outs in the ninth, Gleyber Torres hit a long fly ball to the wall in left that a fan reached over and snatched. Ruled fan interference, Torres was stopped at second base. Roberts put his head in the lion’s mouth — intentionally walking Soto to bring up Judge — and pulled it out when Blake Treinen got Judge to pop out.

Treinen struck out Stanton to start the 10th inning but gave up a single to Jazz Chisholm, who stole second against Treinen’s slow-developing motion. The Dodgers intentionally walked Anthony Rizzo and Chisholm stole third.

With the infield in, Anthony Volpe hit a grounder up the middle that Edman dived for and smothered. But he could only shovel the ball to Lux at second base for a force out as the deciding run scored.

A walk and a single put the tying and winning runs on base for Ohtani with one out in the 10th. But Verdugo made his running catch, tumbling into the stands. That allowed the runners to move up and prompted the Yankees to walk Betts.

Freeman jumped on a first-pitch fastball and the stadium exploded.

“I was on time for the heater,” Freeman said.