LOS ANGELES (AP) – Freddie Freeman slugged his first home run in a Dodgers uniform, Trea Turner’s bases-loaded double highlighted a five-run fourth inning, and Los Angeles beat the Atlanta Braves 7-4 on Monday night for its seventh consecutive victory.
Freeman didn’t wait to tee off against his old team, sending a shot to the left-field pavilion in the first off Huascar Ynoa (0-2). That triggered chants of “Freddie! Freddie!” from the sellout crowd of 52,052 as the first baseman pumped his right arm coming into home plate.
Before the game, an emotional Freeman spent time in the Braves clubhouse, reliving memories of winning last year’s World Series, the franchise’s first championship since 1995. He signed a $162 million, six-year deal with the Dodgers in March, ending a 12-year run with the Braves, the only team the Southern California native had played for.
Freeman flashed stellar defense in the seventh, diving to his right to make a backhand stab of Dansby Swanson’s shot for the first out. He was 1 for 3 with two runs and two walks.
The Dodgers tacked on five runs in the fourth when they batted around in a rematch of the past two NL Championship Series.