Freddie Freeman's First Homer in 26 Games Just Buried the Braves, and It Came at the Worst Possible Time
Freddie Freeman has been waiting a month to launch one into the bleachers. On Friday night at Dodger Stadium, he finally did. And of all teams to serve it up, it had to be his old crew from Atlanta.
The Dodgers rallied past the Braves 3-1 behind Freeman's solo shot off Braves ace Chris Sale in the sixth inning. That blast broke a 26-game homerless drought for Freeman and proved to be the dagger. Shohei Ohtani had already put LA ahead with a go-ahead single in the fifth, and that one-two punch was enough to get the job done on opening night of a seven-game homestand.
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Freeman's home run came on a 97 mph fastball from Sale and marked his 100th shot since leaving Atlanta to join the Dodgers before the 2022 season. For someone who hasn't cleared the fence since mid-April, that kind of explosive moment matters. It's the exclamation point a struggling hitter desperately needs.
The Dodgers offense had been treading water. Los Angeles came into this game fresh off a 3-3 road trip and sitting in an ugly 8-10 stretch dating back to April 18. A win here, especially one that came from Freeman breaking out of his slump, is exactly the momentum builder the team needed.
Dodgers Pitching Did Its Job When It Mattered
Emmet Sheehan, the LA starter, gave up just one run on six hits over 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Alex Vesia (1-0) recorded the final out of the fifth, and Tanner Scott closed it out in the ninth for his third save of the season.
Sale, meanwhile, struggled for just the second time in eight starts. The Braves ace surrendered three runs, two earned, on five hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. Atlanta fell to 4-3 on its nine-game road trip after dropping two of three at Seattle this week, their first series loss of the season.
The Dodgers host the Braves again soon. If Freeman stays hot, LA might turn this thing around faster than anyone expected.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.