It wasn’t the most jaw-dropping moment of October delivered by a lame-duck Dodgers player at Chavez Ravine. This honor will always go to Kirk Gibsonwho limped around the goals on two knees after his Home run against Oakland Athletic, closer Dennis Eckersley landed in the right-field pavilion in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
But it was up there.
After leading the third inning of the National League Division Series opener Saturday night Victory 7-5 against the San Diego Padres with a single, Freddie Freeman – playing on a right ankle that was so badly sprained that doctors told him “this is a four-to-six-week stay (injured list)” – took off for second base.
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And he stole it, sending a surge of energy and an extra dose of determination through a Dodgers dugout that had begun to find its feet after erasing a 3-0 first-inning deficit. Shohei Ohtani’s game-tying three-run home run in the second round.
“We had a saying in 2020, when we won (the World Series), guys were like, ‘Hey, I’m ready to die out there today,'” Dodgers third baseman Max said Muncy. “Obviously it’s metaphorical, but that’s kind of the mentality we’re taking again this year, like nothing should hold us back there, and Freddie proved that tonight.
“He gets the hits, makes the plays, steals a bag and that sends a message to our dugout: Hey, no matter what your name is, who you are, you better be willing to do whatever it takes to win this game. … It’s hard to express exactly what it meant to see Freddie do that. It’s just really cool.
Freeman’s stolen base put him at second with no outs, and although he didn’t score in the inning, it gave the team hope that their 35-year-old first baseman and pinch-hitter No. 3 would be a factor in this series despite his injury, which he suffered while trying to avoid a tag while running off a grounder in the Decisive victory of September 26 above San Diego.
Freeman lined a 109 mph single to right field in his first at-bat in the first inning. After his single to right in the third inning, he grounded out on a fielder’s choice during a three-run fourth inning, grounded out to first in the sixth and was removed in the eighth.
“When you see a guy like Freddie go through what he goes through and make himself available to play, it says a lot,” the shortstop said. Miguel Rojaswho plays with a left adductor strain. “It made me forget everything that happens to me, because I’m not even close to what he’s going through.
“No one in this clubhouse is 100%. We all understand it. But the fire and fight of this team is incredible.
When Rojas saw Freeman limping around the clubhouse early Saturday afternoon, he thought there was “zero chance” Freeman would play.
“I thought he had about a 5 percent chance with the way he looked when he got here,” Rojas said. “I don’t think anyone expected him to play. It was borderline miraculous.
Freeman practiced Friday, but woke up so sore Saturday that he told his 8-year-old son, Charlie, “I don’t know if Dad’s going to be able to play today.” Freeman arrived at Dodger Stadium at 10:45 a.m. and received several hours of treatment that reduced the swelling in his ankle.
Freeman performed his normal pregame workout on the field, and after throwing a high-speed pitcher into the batting cage about 2 1/2 hours before the first pitch, he told manager Dave Roberts that he felt good enough to play. This decision seemed pretty good after Freeman’s first-inning single.
“It really helped in the feeling process,” Freeman said. “I felt good after my first at-bat, so I knew I could do it.”
But good enough to steal a base? It seemed unfathomable to the players and coaches in both dugouts, to Padres pitcher Dylan Cease and almost everyone else in a packed house of 53,028.
“I think the stolen base was just pure luck,” Freeman said. “I leaned over to Clayton (McCullough, first base coach) and said, ‘What’s (Cease’s time at the plate)? They know I have a sprained ankle and I figured they didn’t think I was going to fly. He said, “1.65 seconds.” I said, “Can I go?” And he said, “Can you run?” » And I just took off.
“You know, 90 feet means a lot in this game, especially in the playoffs. I know I took a big risk with how I felt, but the opportunity presented itself and I had to take it. If I can’t play the game the right way, I shouldn’t be out there. So I felt pretty good, the adrenaline took over. But the adrenaline has worn off now. I’m tired.”
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What did Roberts think when he saw Freeman take second place?
“I was holding my breath,” he said. “And during that crash landing, I wanted to make sure he was able to get back up. Freddie, as a competitor, felt there was a chance to get into scoring position without anyone being out. It’s a calculated game. I guess he was playing possum with everyone. But it’s just an intoxicating and courageous piece. … He just forced himself into the lineup. He was definitely medicated.
In addition to physical therapy sessions and extensive pregame treatments, painkillers will be part of Freeman’s daily regimen for the remainder of the postseason.
“Everything is prescribed by a doctor, whatever the doctors allow me to have, but yes, there is help,” Freeman said. “Unfortunately, that’s probably how it happens every day, but I think we have a good plan and a good approach.”
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This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
