LOS ANGELES – Putting Freddie Freeman’s name in the Dodgers’ Game 2 lineup was “much easier” than it was for Game 1, Manager Dave Roberts said.
Dealing with a severely sprained right ankle, Freeman was very much a gametime decision before Game 1. He went through a full workout before the Dodgers felt comfortable releasing the lineup with Freeman batting third and playing first base.
“He willed himself into the lineup,” Roberts said after Freeman went 2 for 5 and even stole a base. “He was certainly medicated.”
But the Game 2 lineup was released early in the day with Freeman once again in there, this time with the knowledge of what it will feel like to play on his injured ankle.
“I think that he is in the same spot,” Roberts said of Freeman’s limitations from the ankle injury. “But I do feel that there’s a little more comfort for Freddie, knowing kind of where the floor is at for him whereas yesterday, you’re just trying to figure out what this means and how it feels.
“But I think feeling how he felt, how he feels today, he feels that he can get through today and manage it. So we certainly feel much more confident today, yeah.”
Freeman’s willingness to play hurt is a “huge” signal to his teammates, Roberts said.
“He’s sacrificing health to find a way to be on the field. And then when you sacrifice anything, it makes what you’re sacrificing for more important. I think that our players see the sacrifice he’s making.”
That definitely resonated with his teammates Saturday night, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said.
“When you see him do stuff like that – he gets the hits, he makes the plays, he steals a bag – you’re kind of like, ‘Okay, he’s ready for it,’” Muncy said. “That definitely sends a message that, hey, it doesn’t matter what your name is, it doesn’t matter who you are, you better be ready to do whatever is necessary to win this game. That’s a big message for sure.
“It’s hard to put that into words to see Freddie out there, for us to know how bad he is hurting – honestly, it’s really really cool. It almost gives you a chill.”
OHTANI EMOTION
Shohei Ohtani has shown something with the Dodgers that wasn’t a big part of his game during his six years with the Angels – emotion. Ohtani has let it out repeatedly after big hits against the Padres and Rockies down the stretch and again after his three-run home run in Game 1.
“Winning” and playing meaningful games for the first time in his career has brought it out, Roberts said.
“I do think that he’s become over the course of the season … who he intrinsically is,” Roberts said. “He’s very isolated, very quiet, stays to himself, private. But I do think that naturally he is a goofy person. He’s fun-loving. He’s a crazy good competitor.
“When he sees people having fun, enjoying themselves in moments – I think we’ve seen more of that over the course of the season. I think that’s a good thing for him because it’s honest. And I think that’s a good thing for our players to see that, man, this guy is not just a robot. He’s like a real person who has emotions.”
TIPPING POINT
After his poor performance in Game 1, Roberts said the Dodgers thought the Padres “had something on” Yoshinobu Yamamoto in terms of tipping his pitches.
This was also an issue with Yamamoto in the spring. The Dodgers asked him to change his hand position on the mound to better conceal his pitches but the change affected Yamamoto’s command and was an issue when the Padres scored five runs in one inning against Yamamoto in Korea.
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Yamamoto eventually re-adjusted his hand position to more closely resemble his original mechanics while still making it difficult for opposing teams to identify his pitches. That problem, however, has apparently resurfaced.
“We’re talking about it,” Roberts said before Game 2. “We have some time. We’re digging in on it.”
Roberts said Yamamoto’s performance in Game 1 does not change his status as an option for a potential Game 5.
