Dodgers bats blazing in Arizona
Freddie Freeman goes 4 for 5, leading a withering offensive charge by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 14-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
In an offensive showcase staged by the LA Dodgers in their 14-1 trouncing of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Freddie Freeman’s bat was hotter than the desert sun. He went 4 for 5 with a three-run home run, two doubles to drive in two runs, a single to drive in a run. He only lacked the triple for the cycle.
His May has been eye-catching, with an .849 OPS and now 14 doubles in the month, just two shy of the franchise record for a single month, and tying Jackie Robinson for the franchise record over the first 44 games in a season at 18.
Freeman’s bat wasn’t the only hot one for the Dodgers. Leadoff hitter Mookie Betts also had a good night, going 3 for 5 with a walk and scoring twice. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was full of praise for the pair, saying, “The last 10 days, we’ve been able to strike first and often and tack on runs, and Mookie and Freddie are a big part of that. Those guys value the walk, so they’re always on base. They control the strike zone, and when you throw it in the strike zone, they can slug you. Just a deadly combination.”
With his fifth three-hit performance this month, Betts is 33 for 93 with nine homers and 24 RBIs in May. His OPS is .978 over the last 23 games and he has scored at least one run in 13 consecutive starts.
“A lot of good quality at-bats all around,” said Roberts. “Mookie just continues to be out of this world.”
With every hitter in the starting lineup getting multiple base hits, the Dodgers finished the game on 24 hits, just one shy of the franchise record since moving to LA, three shy of the overall.
Trea Turner extended his hit streak to 18 games, currently the longest in the Show, with a single and a triple, scoring one run. Chris Taylor tacked on a two-run blast, just for good measure.
The Diamondbacks only run came off of a Christian Walker solo shot in the sixth, his 12th this season.
On the defensive side of the ball, there were some outstanding grabs made all over the field but the glove of the night was definitely Gavin Lux who made incredible, hit-robbing catches all night long, particularly when playing the shift in short right field.
LA native Freddie Freeman, who spent most of his career on the east coast in Atlanta, was happy to be part of the Dodgers action, saying, “These are the kind of nights where you just sit back and smile because these don’t happen very often. It’s nice to be a part of it.”