The Los Angeles Dodgers offense was non-existent for their first seven innings coming out of the All-Star break, but they still managed to defeat the Boston Red Sox, 4-1.
All of the Dodgers’ runs came in the eighth inning thanks to Freddie Freeman, but it was also the result of a questionable decision.
After Miguel Vargas walked and Shohei Ohtani doubled to put two runners on, the Red Sox opted to intentionally walk Will Smith, which loaded the bases for Freeman while the Dodgers trailed by one run.
“More opportunities to drive in runs,” Freeman said when asked what was going through his mind after the walk. “That’s all I care about. Bases loaded, one out and just trying to get a ball from the air, and I was able to do that, and it went over the fence.”
Freeman ended up hitting the second pitch he saw out of the park for his seventh career grand slam, but that wasn’t the focus of his at-bat.
“I was just trying to get a ball up. All I was trying to do is hit a sacrifice fly in that situation,” Freeman said. “Just be able to not ground out. Even if I strike out, I’m okay there, because that means Teoscar gets to have a chance right there.
“So just trying to get a ball up. First one, 0-0 sinker, I thought I had a really good swing on it. So like I told David (Vassegh) after the game, even though I got out a couple of times, I was hitting the ball to the opposite field, and I started to make little wins in those at-bats.
Even though I’m getting out, I started to feel a lot better at the plate. So after that 0-0 sinker and that foul ball, I felt really good. I just felt like I was in a good spot to be able to see all the pitches, and then obviously made a mistake on the 0-1 slider, but I was in a good spot after the first sinker to be able to put one out.”
Although Freeman is one of the best hitters in baseball and has rarely found himself in a situation where an opposing team walks anyone to get to him, the All-Star first baseman did not take it personally, even noting he believed it was a sound decision.
“I just like to be able to have the opportunity to drive in runs, so you can walk all the people you want,” Freeman said. “That’s part of the game, it’s strategy. A sinkerballer, throw the sinker in, I could roll it over, double play. It’s the right move, but it didn’t work out.”
The grand slam proved to be all the runs the Dodgers needed to win the game as Daniel Hudson closed out the ballgame in the ninth.
Charlie Freeman joyful after Freddie Freeman grand slam
The Dodgers announced 51,562 fans were in attendance at the game for Freeman’s grand slam that led the comeback win, and one of them happened to Freddie’s son, Charlie.
“He was in the family room, and I’m trying to figure out where he is right now,” Freeman said after the game. “I don’t know where he is now if he’s on the field or not. He was here somewhere, so I’m sure I’ll hear about it on the ride home.”
After addressing the media, Freeman said he would have at least one more question to answer from his son.
“The first thing he’s going to ask is if I had to do interviews,” Freeman said. “He knows if I do good, I have to do interviews. So the joy of a seven year old, it’s going to be real tonight.”
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