Freddie Freeman Hits 100th Dodgers Homer Against Braves

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Freddie Freeman Hits 100th Dodgers Homer Against Braves/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Freddie Freeman blasted his 100th home run as a Dodger against his former team, helping Los Angeles defeat Atlanta 3-1. The veteran first baseman credited recent swing adjustments for his improved performance at the plate. Strong bullpen pitching and timely hitting allowed the Dodgers to open the marquee series with a win.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants in a baseball gamewld Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Freddie Freeman Quick Looks

Freeman hits 100th Dodgers home run
Milestone blast comes against former Braves club
Dodgers bullpen throws 4 2/3 scoreless innings
Shohei Ohtani adds key RBI single
Emmet Sheehan strikes out seven batters
Dave Roberts praises Freeman’s adjustments

Deep Look

Freddie Freeman Reaches Major Dodgers Milestone

Freddie Freeman delivered another memorable moment against his former team Friday night, hitting his 100th home run as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers during a 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium.

The solo blast came in the sixth inning off Atlanta ace Chris Sale and provided an important insurance run in a tightly contested matchup between two National League contenders.

Freeman has continued to thrive against the franchise where he spent the first 12 seasons of his career. Since joining Los Angeles, he now has six home runs and a .977 OPS against Atlanta.

“I haven’t done that in a month,” Freeman said about the swing that produced the milestone homer. “To put a swing like that … obviously, my work has been better the last few days.”

Mechanical Adjustments Spark Offensive Improvement

Freeman revealed that recent improvements at the plate followed a subtle mechanical adjustment he began implementing during the Dodgers’ previous series in Houston.

The veteran slugger explained he introduced a slight foot turn in his batting stance to help keep his hip closed longer and allow pitches to travel deeper into the strike zone.

“I’ve always done little tweaks mentally [and] externally. This time, I just did a foot turn,” Freeman explained. “I’ve thought sometimes, you got to think differently up in the box. And I went with a foot turn in. And it’s worked. I’m not going to try and figure it out, but it’s working right now.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Freeman’s willingness to evolve despite his long-established success.

“It is good for me to see him kind of change some things,” Roberts said. “He’s a smart player and understanding that at some point in a career, you’ve got to make some adjustments.”

Dodgers Produce Timely Offense Against Elite Competition

The victory came against one of baseball’s hottest teams. Atlanta entered the series with a 26-12 record, tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best mark in Major League Baseball.

Los Angeles focused heavily on situational hitting after struggling to capitalize with runners on base during recent games.

The Dodgers manufactured their first run in the second inning when Kyle Tucker doubled home Teoscar Hernández.

In the fifth inning, Shohei Ohtani delivered a key RBI single that scored Miguel Rojas after a Braves throwing error.

“It was encouraging,” Roberts said about the Dodgers’ situational hitting. “Shohei gets a two-out hit … and then obviously Tucker gets the double. We gotta get those hits. That was really good, especially against a guy like Sale.”

Rojas also emphasized the team’s ability to elevate its performance during marquee matchups.

“I don’t know what it is about this team that when a big series comes up, we always find the way to kind of lock in and play our game,” Rojas said.

Emmet Sheehan Delivers Strong Start

On the mound, Emmet Sheehan gave the Dodgers an important performance amid ongoing pitching concerns within the rotation.

Sheehan struck out seven batters over 4 1/3 innings while allowing only one earned run on six hits against a dangerous Braves lineup.

Although efficiency remains an area for improvement, the young right-hander relied on a diverse four-pitch mix to navigate Atlanta’s powerful offense.

“I think it’s a testament to Will Smith and to the pitching coaches, starting off with a good game plan,” Sheehan said. “They put together some really good at-bats, long at-bats. Definitely wish I was a little more efficient, but yeah, felt good.”

Roberts described the outing as one of Sheehan’s best of the season.

“I thought Emmet threw the ball as well as he’s thrown the ball all year as far as stuff [and] competing,” Roberts said. “He did everything that we had hoped.”

Dodgers Bullpen Locks Down Atlanta

The Dodgers bullpen took over after Sheehan’s exit and shut the door on Atlanta’s offense.

Relievers Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Will Klein and Brock Stewart combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings while limiting the Braves to only three hits.

Closer Tanner Scott finished the ninth inning to secure the win.

The strong bullpen effort was especially important as the Dodgers continue dealing with injuries throughout the pitching staff.

Dodgers Eye October-Like Momentum Early Season

Although the calendar still reads May, Roberts believed the intensity and quality of play resembled postseason baseball.

“Tonight felt like a typical sort of October game,” Roberts said. “You’re going to see really good pitching … on the margins you gotta be able to take advantage of some mistakes. You gotta prevent runs and use the arms in the ‘pen that you got.”

The victory provided an important early statement for Los Angeles as it opened a highly anticipated series against another National League powerhouse while Freeman added yet another milestone to his decorated career.