The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a comeback against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, earning a walk-off win on a home run from Mookie Betts after Shohei Ohtani tied the game with a solo blast of his own.
But prior to that point, the game was a struggle for the Dodgers. They hit into three double plays and left runners in scoring position constantly, highlighted by two double plays from Freddie Freeman.
Trailing 5-1 in the seventh, Miguel Rojas worked a walk and Kiké Hernández hit a two-run homer to make it a two-run game. Ohtani then singled and stole second base before Freeman’s base hit drove him home to cut it to a one-run deficit, setting up the ninth-inning heroics.
Manager Dave Roberts has noticed a trend with his team as related to Freeman, who the skipper believes may be the key to the Dodgers’ offense.
“I think Freddie getting the base hit to score a run, I think that sort of energized us,” Roberts said. “Freddie has been trying to find his way, and we do go with him as far as his emotion. When he’s more downtrodden, it seems like everyone sort of follows suit. But when he’s chipper and going, that energy resonates with everyone else.”
The Dodgers finished the game 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. Freeman’s single was their lone hit with a runner on second or third.
Freeman’s double plays came in the first inning after singles from Ohtani and Betts, and the third inning with the bases loaded and one out. Seemingly not a coincidence, it wasn’t until the fourth inning when the Dodgers scored their first run on a homer from Teoscar Hernández.
Ohtani and Betts are the clear best players on the club, but if Freeman is the key to their energy, they’ll need him to step up against the San Diego Padres in their three-game set and into the postseason.
Freddie Freeman having down season
Freeman has not had the same success this season that he had last year, but overall, he’s still been a productive player. He’s hitting .283/.380/.477 with 22 home runs 89 RBI and 81 runs scored with nine stolen bases.
However, he is likely to finish the season hitting below .300 for the first time since 2019 and second time since 2014. Freeman’s slugging percentage is also on track to finish below .500 for the first time since 2015.
Whether’s it’s been an outlier season for Freeman or the start of a decline due to age for the 35-year-old may be a concern, but for the meantime, he remains an important part of the offense.
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