Freeman’s textbook AB ends in three-run homer

SAN DIEGO — Over the previous two seasons, Freddie Freeman has amazed his Dodgers teammates and coaches together with his next-level strategy on the plate. 

Freeman, as soon as once more, confirmed why he’s among the finest gamers within the Majors, ending off a 10-pitch at-bat with a three-run homer to guide the Dodgers to an 8-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday at Petco Park. The 10 pitches had been essentially the most Freeman has seen in his profession in an at-bat that ended with a house run.

“Obviously, with final evening, it simply modified the momentum rapidly proper there,” mentioned Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts. “[We were] able to catch a lead, put together a great at-bat, finish it with a home run. The momentum clearly swayed in our direction.”

Padres left-hander Rich Hill began the second-inning at-bat with a pair of offspeed pitches that acquired Freeman in an early 0-2 gap. Two of the subsequent three pitches had been balls to even the rely, which allowed the Dodgers’ first baseman to be somewhat extra selective. 

Freeman then confirmed his plate protection, fouling off a four-seamer, a sinker and a sweeper in consecutive pitches. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Hill went to a curveball that flirted with the zone however landed for a ball. It was a pitch most hitters within the league would’ve swung at with two strikes, however Freeman wouldn’t chew. 

“I got down 0-2 pretty quickly, so I was just trying to move it forward and hopefully something good would happen,” Freeman mentioned. “But I started seeing more and more pitches, fouled off the heaters away then I took that 2-2 curveball.”

Hill then went again to the sweeper, this time touchdown one within the inner-half of the zone, permitting Freeman to activate it and shoot it into the right-field stands for a three-run homer to provide the Dodgers a six-run lead. 

“We knew from our hitters meeting that he was heavy breaking ball 3-2, so I was just kind of looking up in the zone and hoping to see something pop,” Freeman mentioned. “I saw something pop, and I was able to get it.” 

Since the All-Star break, Freeman is 35-for-84 (.417) with six homers. His general 1.011 OPS is second within the NL behind Braves’ celebrity Ronald Acuña Jr. (1.014).

Freeman’s dwelling run set the tone, however the Dodgers additionally used Mookie Betts’ thirtieth homer of the season, Amed Rosario’s two-run homer and 6 sturdy innings from Trade Deadline acquisition Lance Lynn. 

Lynn was making his second begin with the Dodgers on Sunday and confirmed indicators of why the membership was aggressive in buying the veteran right-hander. Lynn allowed 4 hits and only one run over six sturdy innings and earned his second win since becoming a member of the group. 

“A little bit of everything, really,” Lynn mentioned, when requested what was engaged on Sunday. “Just to be able to attack hitters, move the ball around, up, down, in, out. Change a few speeds here or there. See what you got.”

Since the Deadline, the Dodgers’ strikes have panned out simply the way in which they envisioned. They made a sequence of strikes that weren’t essentially splashy, however their lineup has been a lot improved towards left-handed pitching. The addition of Joe Kelly has made the bullpen higher, Saturday’s catastrophe apart. And Lynn has stabilized a depleted rotation simply sufficient. 

In the method the Dodgers have received 5 of the six video games because the Aug. 1 Deadline. They’ll go for a sequence win on Monday towards the Padres.

“I think that with guys like Joe or Kiké [Hernández] who have been here, it’s easier to kind of project,” Roberts mentioned. “But some of the newer guys, you just really don’t know, because it’s a different environment. But for them, it’s a credit to the guys in the clubhouse to make them feel comfortable. Lance already is all in on us. It’s really good to see.”