PHOENIX — After Freddie Freeman wrapped up his usual pregame batting practice on Tuesday afternoon—just hours before game time—he made his way to the bat rack across the dugout. Then, he took that long trek back to the clubhouse, giving his bat a little rub along the way.
“I have to wake them up,” Freeman quipped, jokingly referring to his routine.
It seemed to work, with the Dodgers clinching a 6-5 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Freeman kicked things off with a two-run homer in the first inning, setting the tone for the game at Chase Field. Shortly after, Shohei Ohtani added another two runs with a triple, helping to extend the Dodgers’ lead. Both players contributed again with key hits in the seventh inning.
Given the bullpen struggles earlier in the week, the Dodgers relied heavily on those early contributions to rebound from a close loss to their division rivals the night before.
Despite entering the bottom of the seventh inning with a 6-2 lead, tensions ran high as the Dodgers’ bullpen faltered.
After a solid start from Eric Lauer, who pitched 4 2/3 innings giving up just two runs, both Blake Treinen and Edgardo Henriquez kept things scoreless. But then, right-hander Kyle Hart had a rough patch, surrendering three runs—triggered by three walks and an unfortunate pitch.
The first runs came courtesy of Nolan Arenado’s double, which was slightly aided by a bobble from Ryan Ward. The third run crossed the plate when Will Klein walked a batter with the bases loaded.
Coincidentally, this rally kicked off right after some Arizona fans made the decision to tarp off parts of the right field seating.
Miraculously, the Dodgers made it through.
Freeman’s defensive plays helped wrap up the seventh inning, with three outs that included a flyout, a backhand groundout, and a precise throw to second base.
Arizona managed to put two more runs on the board against Klein in the eighth, but it was Arenado again who ended the inning with a double play.
In the ninth, Tanner Scott allowed a runner to reach second, but the Dodgers held on for the win.
Ultimately, it was the Dodgers’ hitting that sealed the victory.
As Freeman hoped, they were indeed wide awake.
What It Means
The Dodgers are currently riding a 15-4 wave since May 13. One of the stand-out aspects of this season has been their resilience, particularly bouncing back after losses.
They haven’t faced back-to-back losses since early May, demonstrating a strong ability to recover quickly. This has allowed them to hold a six-game lead in the NL West standings, while they are now 6.5 games behind a recently improved D-backs team.
Who Is Hot
Freeman and Ohtani are beginning to resemble their best selves again, at the plate, lately.
After hitting a rough patch in early May that saw Ohtani’s average dip to .233, he has turned things around dramatically, boasting a .415 average and a 1.229 OPS in the last 18 games. On Tuesday, he continued this trend with two hits, including an intentional walk that extended his on-base streak to 18 games.
Freeman also had a notable game, going 3-for-5 after recovering from his own mid-May slump, during which his average dipped to .254. Since then, he’s been hitting at an impressive pace, adding five homers and 12 RBIs in just 13 games.
The only game he didn’t reach base during that stretch was Monday night, which likely prompted his pregame routine.
Who Is Not?
In less favorable news, Kyle Tucker continues to struggle significantly.
The highly paid outfielder had no hits in three at-bats on Tuesday and is stuck in a slump, recording just three hits in his last 26 at-bats over the past week.
Manager Dave Roberts expressed hope that Tucker would break this streak, noting that while some days he looks comfortable, other days, he appears to be searching for his rhythm again. Two months into the season, the quest for consistency remains unfulfilled.
To The Next
Ohtani (5-2, 0.82 ERA) will return to two-way action on Wednesday, facing off against former All-Star right-hander Zac Gallen (3-4, 5.16 ERA).
