Freddie Freeman stays hot in Game 3 and inspires the Dodgers

Freddie Freeman had already done a lot to infuriate New York Yankees fans. The Dodgers first baseman hit a dramatic walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of the World Series opener and hit a solo home run in the Game 2 win.

So it was hardly a surprise when Freeman entered the batter's box in the first inning of Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Monday night and was greeted with a very audible and vulgar by the Bleacher Creatures, the fans on the right who are known for their ferocity Chant greeted loyalty to the Yankees and hostility toward opposing teams.

“F–you Freddie!” Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap. “F–you Freddie!”

Freeman responded to the Bronx's celebration by rewarding one of those fans with a souvenir and hitting a two-run home run to right field off New York right-hander Clarke Schmidt to lift the Dodgers to a 4-2 Game 3 victory and a commanding three-run win to lead -games-to-nothing lead in the best-of-seven series.

Freddie Freeman hits a two-run home run in the first inning of the Dodgers' 4-2 victory in Game 3 of the World Series against the Yankees.

“Scoring runs in the first inning is always huge, and it doesn't matter how you do it,” said Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, “but for Freddie to do that with a home run really electrified us and “He helped get the audience excited about the game straight away.”

Freeman became the third player in Major League history to hit a home run in each of the first three games of a World Series, joining Barry Bonds (2002) and Hank Bauer (1958).

Freddie Freeman rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of Game 3 of the World Series.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

With the home runs he hit for the Atlanta Braves in Games 5 and 6 of the 2021 World Series against Houston, Freeman has now hit homers in five consecutive World Series games, tying the record held by George Springer in 2017 and 2019 the Astros had put up.

“Five games in a row with a home run? This guy is doing it with a foot and other broken bones everywhere,” second baseman Gavin Lux said of Freeman. “It was really fun to watch him do what he did after everything he’s been through this year. He is the ultimate competitor. It’s Freddie Freeman, nothing should surprise us.”

A little over a week ago, Freeman's right ankle, which he sprained in the final week of the regular season, hurt so much that he was unable to play in the Dodgers' 10-5 National League Championship Series win over the New York Mets on October 20th.

Freeman limped through the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres and the NLCS against the Mets, needing five to six hours of physical therapy and lots of painkillers every day just to take the field.

He provided little offense — Freeman had no extra-base hits and just one RBI in the first two rounds — but plenty of inspiration.

And now? If the Dodgers can defeat the Yankees and win the eighth World Series title in franchise history, Freeman would be a clear choice for the Series' Most Valuable Player with three home runs, a triple and seven RBIs in the first three games.

“If we find a way to win another game, I predict Freddie will never pay for a meal in LA again,” said utility Kiké Hernández. “Not just because of what he's done in the last three days but what he's done in the last month to put himself in a position to just turn up and wear boots and not just be on the reserve list stand.

“We've talked about it a lot, but I really don't think you have any idea what he went through to be able to play for us.”

Six days off before the World Series proved to be a much-needed elixir for Freeman's ankle, which is far from fully healed but is far more playable than it was in the first two rounds.

“Those days off were huge for me,” Freeman said. “I got my ankle to the point where after every single game it’s not as bad as it was in the NLCS and NLDS. I got my ankle to a place where I could work on my swing, and I luckily got (my swing) to a good place going into the (World Series).”

Freeman hit an opponent-field triple down the left field line in his first World Series at-bat in Game 1, an early sign that he was doing much better. He moved from first to third on Monday night with Teoscar Hernández's seventh-inning single to center field.

Most importantly, Freeman, an eight-time All-Star who won the 2020 NL MVP Award with the Braves, looks like his old self in the batter's box.

“He's hit home runs in three straight games, he's getting hits the other way too, he's got great swings, not the chase,” Lux said. “He's locked in right now.”

So caught up that on Monday night, when asked about those chants in the first inning, Freeman said, “What chants?”

Uh…the one with your name.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Freeman said.

When Freeman learned exactly what the fans were chanting, he said, “Oh, I didn’t hear about that. I mean, it's just loud. You won't hear anything. I don’t think they said it after (the home run) though.”