ARLINGTON — Ahead of Saturday’s 16-3 win over the Rangers, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts joked that he gave his first baseman a tough time over the 2020 National League Championship Series upon the club’s arrival in Texas.
In that series, Roberts’ Dodgers faced Freddie Freeman’s Braves, and Los Angeles won in seven games. Since it was taking place during the pandemic-shortened season, every contest was played at Globe Life Field, where the Dodgers returned this weekend for the first time since winning the World Series in the fall.
“I think I mocked Freddie for hitting her here in 1920 when he was with the Braves,” Roberts said with a smile.
When Roberts was back in the same place three years later, he was glad that Freeman was wearing Dodger blue this time. The 2020 NL MVP of the year hit two homers and two singles to fuel Los Angeles’ second straight loss in Texas and sixth win on their current nine-game road trip to open the second half of the season.
After a lone hit in the first inning, Freeman hit a solo home run just inside the right foul pole in the third inning. In the fourth round, he hit an encore with a two-run shot to the right, a blistering drive for his 20th home run of the season. In the eighth round he hit a single again to be on the safe side.
On his productive day, Freeman is hitting .438 with six home runs in his last 12 games, a period where the Dodgers are 10-2 and have gone from 2 1/2 games behind in first place in the NL West to four games ahead of the Giants and D-Backs. He also became the first player in Dodgers history to hit at least 20 home runs and 35 doubles before the end of July.
Perhaps even more incredible, according to OptaSTATS, Freeman became the first player in AL/NL history to hit 20+ home runs, 35+ doubles, 125+ hits, 10+ steals, and 40+ walks before August 1st.
“I just feel like I’m not missing the balls that I should be playing,” Freeman said. “I think we’re going to go through all the phases of the season where we’re going to be fouling around the pitch and stuff like that, but … right now I’m hitting the pitches that I’m supposed to be hitting.”
Just call him “Steady Freddie,” because his mere presence in the lineup is a massive force that fuels an offensive juggernaut. That firepower at the plate has played a major role in hiding the pitching depth issues the Dodgers have faced all season, particularly in the starting rotation.
“He’s obviously already an elite player, one of the best hitters in the game,” Roberts said. “…So when he’s on one of those heaters, man, you just sit back and enjoy it. And everyone does the same to us.”
“Follow Suit” is exactly what the rest of the lineup did, hitting double-digit runs for the third time in four games.
Max Muncy hit his 23rd home run of the season with a solo shot in the third inning and doubled another run in the eighth inning. JD Martinez notched his 24th hit of the year, a three-run shot in the fourth before adding a sacrificial flight in the eighth.
David Peralta was 4 of 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, and James Outman added an RBI single.
In the ninth run, Jonny Deluca hit his second career home run, a three-run blast to left center. Deluca’s back-to-back sensational midfield catches on Friday highlighted another reason the Dodgers thrived despite injuries plaguing the pitching team: contributions from unlikely sources.
There were contributions up and down the lineup, and starter Bobby Miller, who tossed six innings with three-run ball, made a positive step in his development. But that day belonged to the ever-reliable Freeman, who gave his manager nightmares.
“Now he’s wearing our uniform,” Roberts said. “Well, I’m sleeping a little better, yeah.”