One day, Freddie Freeman will look back on this amazing performance in the World Series and shake his head in disbelief, just like everyone else.
Freeman set two Series records on Tuesday when he hit another home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 against the New York Yankees.
He hit a two-run homer to right field in the first inning for the second night in a row, making him the first player to hit a home run in the first four games of a World Series. This streak began with his walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1.
“Pretty cool, obviously,” Freeman said, noting that he had been dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the postseason. “Hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow.”
Freeman also became the only player to hit home runs in six straight World Series games, starting from the 2021 championship he won with Atlanta against Houston.
“I feel good,” he said. “I found a cue while I was working on my swing since my ankle is feeling better. And I’ve been seeing the ball really well. They’re making mistakes and I’ve been able to hit ’em.”
However, Freeman’s latest homer wasn’t enough, as the Yankees avoided a four-game sweep with an 11-4 victory. The Dodgers still lead the Series 3-1 and need just one more win to claim their second championship in five years and the franchise’s eighth overall.
George Springer hit home runs in five consecutive Series games for the Astros from 2017 to 2019. He is the only player besides Freeman to hit home runs in four straight games during a single World Series, doing so in Games 4 through 7 in 2017 against the Dodgers and hitting another in the 2019 opener against Washington.
The only other players to hit home runs in the first three games of a World Series were Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer in 1958 and Giants slugger Barry Bonds in 2002.
Freeman added a third run on Tuesday night when he sprinted to beat out what could have been an inning-ending double play in the fifth inning. The call at first base was overturned after a replay challenge.
“You saw me flying down the line tonight,” Freeman said with a smile.
This gave him 10 RBIs in the Series, which ties him for the third-most in a World Series by any player and is two more than the previous Dodgers record held by Hall of Famers Duke Snider (1952) and Gil Hodges (1956).
Bobby Richardson holds the major league record with 12 RBIs for the Yankees in a losing effort against Pittsburgh in 1960.
After Mookie Betts hit a double with one out, Freeman lined a 2-1 slider from rookie starter Luis Gil over the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium for his 14th career postseason homer.
The ball landed in the first few rows of seats, just to the left of the 314-foot sign in the corner, and a pumped-up Freeman shouted in excitement toward the Dodgers’ dugout as he rounded the bases.
His hit came on the 15th pitch of the game and put Los Angeles ahead 2-0, just like on Monday night when Freeman homered to right off Clarke Schmidt.
Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP with the Braves, missed three games during the National League playoffs this year due to his injured ankle. Before the World Series, he had one RBI and no extra-base hits this postseason until he legged out a triple in his first at-bat of Game 1.
“I’m telling you, we really got out of the woods on that. Obviously, it’s still swollen. But I feel good. I’m in a good spot,” Freeman said. “I have no concerns about it right now.”
The popular first baseman is batting .313 (5 for 16) with one walk and a 1.540 OPS in the World Series. “I’m not even thinking about my ankle,” he said. “I’m OK, promise.”
