Dodgers rally late to beat Padres behind Freeman's multi-homer night
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is congratulated by left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco... SAN DIEGO — The Dodgers looked flat 24 hours earlier, shut out by the Padres in a tense 1-0 loss that briefly cost them control of the National League West. By Tuesday night at Petco Park, they looked like themselves again, resilient, relentless and, when necessary, dramatic.
And at the center of it all stood Freddie Freeman. After battling through a rough stretch while feeling under the weather and going 0-for-16 over his previous five games, Freeman erupted for his first multi-homer game of the season, powering the Dodgers to a 5-4 comeback victory over the Padres. The win pushed the Dodgers to 30-19 and back into first place in the NL West by a half-game.
For Freeman, the turnaround began before first pitch. “Trying to get rid of the cut swing,” Freeman said afterward. “Cage work was a lot better today and to see instant results in the first at bat definitely helped the mind.
” The adjustment showed up immediately. Shohei Ohtani opened the game by ripping a leadoff double into left field, and Freeman wasted no time ambushing Griffin Canning’s 96 mph fastball, launching it over the left-field wall for a quick 2-0 Dodgers lead. The Padres answered just as fast.
Manny Machado tied the game in the bottom of the first with a two-run homer off Emmet Sheehan, setting the tone for an uneasy night for the young right-hander. Sheehan never fully settled in. In the third inning, Miguel Andújar punished another mistake for a two-run homer, his second in as many nights, giving the Padres a 4-2 lead.
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