Freddie Freeman has been such a model of consistency, batting .300 with a .900 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in his career and averaging 24 homers, 34 doubles and 86 RBIs, that it can be hard to differentiate between his hot streaks and his norm.
But then the Dodgers first baseman goes on a tear like the one he’s been on for the last few weeks, and it turns even hardened baseball men who have been in the game for decades into gushing fans.
Freeman smacked a solo home run in the third inning, a two-run shot in the fourth and added two singles to go with his 19th career multihomer game, part of an 18-hit attack in Saturday’s 16-3 thrashing of the Texas Rangers in Globe Life Field.
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The left-handed-hitting slugger is batting .438 (21 for 48) with a 1.000 OPS, six homers, seven doubles, 16 RBIs and 18 runs in his last 12 games. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Freeman is the first player in Dodgers history with at least 20 homers and 35 doubles before the end of July.
He is also one of three players this season with an average above .300, an on-base percentage at or above .400, a slugging percentage above .500 and at least 20 homers. The other two? Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani and Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr.
“Freddie is already an elite player, one of the best hitters in the game, a guy who can hit lefties, hit righties, hit to all fields, values driving in a run, can get a base hit when you need it, takes a walk … there’s nothing he can’t do on a baseball field,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“So when he’s on one of these heaters, man, you’ve just got to sit back and enjoy the ride, and everyone’s following suit behind him, in front of him, around him.”
Freeman’s teammates followed his lead Saturday. David Peralta had four hits including two doubles and two RBIs; Max Muncy had three hits including his 23rd homer, a double, two RBIs and four runs; and J.D. Martinez drove in four runs with a three-run homer in the fourth, his 24th, and a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The Dodgers scored three runs in the second inning, two in the third and five in the fourth. After a three-inning break, they tacked on three more runs in the eighth and three in the ninth on Jonny DeLuca’s homer off Rangers utility man Brad Miller, who made his debut as a pitcher.
The Dodgers amassed 27 runs and 31 hits including six homers and seven doubles, 15 walks and went 12 for 28 with runners in scoring position in the first two games against the American League West-leading Rangers. They also sprinkled in some aggressive and opportunistic baserunning, going first to third on several singles and taking extra bases on defensive miscues.
“We’re not gonna stop,” leadoff man Mookie Betts said of the Dodgers’ relentlessness. “You’re gonna play 27 outs. That’s it. The game’s over when the game’s over. But in the meantime, we’re not going to stop putting pressure on you.”
The Dodgers’ 18th win in 25 games assured them of a third series win on a grueling, post-All-Star-break, nine-game trip to New York, AL East-leading Baltimore and Texas.
“I’m gonna say the same thing I said [Friday], the boys came to hit again today,” Freeman said after the National League West-leading Dodgers improved to 57-40. “We’ve been playing really good baseball for a while now.”
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Freeman said the key to his hot streak has been squaring up the pitches he should be crushing.
“We’re all gonna go through times throughout the season where we’re going to foul off pitches and stuff like that — you try to fight those off and keep those short,” he said. “Right now, I’m not missing the pitches I should be hitting.”
The beneficiary of Saturday’s outburst was rookie right-hander Bobby Miller, who gave up three runs and seven hits, including a Marcus Semien homer on his second pitch of the game, in six innings, striking out six and walking none, to improve to 6-1 with a 4.28 earned-run average in 10 starts.
The Rangers were without All-Star shortstop Corey Seager, who went on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right thumb.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
