As the Fourth of July game at Dodger Stadium kicked off, fireworks lit up the sky outside. But fans inside had to wait until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Freddie Freeman ignited the crowd during the Dodgers’ 3-0 victory over the Padres.
In what turned into a bit of an unexpected duel between All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Griffin Canning, who was struggling with an ERA over 7.00, Freeman broke through with a solo home run on his third at-bat, effectively doubling the Dodgers’ lead and securing a series win.
Prior to that moment, the Dodgers relied heavily on Yamamoto’s solid performance, who managed to maintain a 1-0 lead after Andy Page’s RBI in the third inning.
However, once Canning exited the mound, Freeman capitalized on a mistake he made on the third pitch, hitting his 15th home run of the season into the right-field area, right after being named an All-Star for the tenth time.
“Everything is special,” Freeman remarked. “Next week is something I’m really looking forward to.”
This home run created a pivotal two-run gap, but Yamamoto’s follow-up was what truly mattered. After allowing three singles early on and his only walk in the fourth, he secured his All-Star status by retiring 11 of the last 12 batters and completing seven scoreless innings.
From that point on, fans just anticipated the fireworks display planned for after the game.
In the top of the eighth inning, Alex Beshear struck out a Padres player. Freeman later added another run in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single off Padres closer Mason Miller. Will Klein then came in during the ninth to earn his second save of the season.
What It Means
After a couple of dramatic come-from-behind wins earlier in the series, the Dodgers (58-31) delivered a more straightforward victory on this night, pushing the Padres (43-45) out of second place in their division.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are now the closest competition, but they’re still a hefty 14 games back as the All-Star break approaches.
This was an important series for the Dodgers against the Padres. In two weeks, they’ve taken advantage of the matchups to build a solid lead, winning five out of six games against their Southern California rivals so far.
“Our team is solid and we’re playing great baseball,” Freeman stated. “That’s just how it is.”
Who Is Hot
It was no shock that Yamamoto made it to the All-Star team.
The real question now is whether he can contend for the Cy Young Award. The young right-hander has been impressive recently, allowing just nine runs across 54 2/3 innings over his past eight starts, bringing his ERA down to 2.49.
This currently ranks among the best in the National League. He’s also tied for sixth place with nine wins.
Yamamoto expressed his happiness about making the National League roster, despite the likelihood that he won’t pitch during the All-Star game, as his next outing is scheduled just days before.
“I was there last year and it was a tremendous honor,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “Going back feels right.”
Who Is Not?
Andy Page’s situation this year is quite different from last summer when he was left out of the All-Star Game due to a late slump. He admitted feeling “worried” back then.
This year, Page didn’t focus on his All-Star status, even though he won a clear fan vote for the National League’s final starting outfield spot.
“I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and the chances I’ve received,” Page noted in Spanish, adding that he had to downplay All-Star talks with his teammates.
“They kept saying I might get selected, but I insisted on waiting until it was official. You never know until all the selections are made.”
After a hot start, Page has seen his average hover around .217 since May 29. Nonetheless, he has remained a crucial RBI contributor, and with his latest RBI, he’s tied for the MLB lead with 63 RBIs this year.
To The Next
The four-game series will wrap up with a Sunday Night Baseball matchup, featuring Emmett Sheehan (4-5, 5.08 ERA) facing Padres left-hander JP Sears (1-1, 6.97 ERA).
