TAMPA, Fla. — The Dodgers might eventually vote a playoff share to the person who showed Freddie Freeman a photo of his stance during last year’s World Series.
Seeing the photo a couple of weeks ago inspired Freeman to make an adjustment in his swing mechanics. He has emerged from an extended slump since then.
Freeman drove in three runs with a double and a home run on Friday night, backing a combined shutout by Clayton Kershaw and Justin Wrobleski as the Dodgers emerged from the trade deadline with a 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Maybe it was the general spring-training feel of their surroundings at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home away from home while hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field undergoes repairs. But the Dodgers’ offense more closely resembled the one they thought they would have back in spring training.
That offense was among the least productive in the majors during July – 28th in runs scored for the month (3.8 per game), 28th in batting average (.226), 26th in OPS (.677) and fifth in strikeouts (226).
But Freeman began to turn things around for himself on July 21 after he said someone showed him that photo. He saw a swing that was more “into” his front ankle – the one that would require surgery after the World Series and hours of daily treatment through the first half of this season. Freeman discussed his discovery with his father at the Dodgers’ Family Day that afternoon and incorporated the change the next day.
Whether his ankle had finally healed, it was time for him to forget about that ankle or the adjustment sparked by it, Freeman has gone 14 for 39 (.359) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 games since.
He doubled in two runs in the first inning Friday then ripped a home run leading off the fifth.
In between, the Dodgers strung together four hits and a sacrifice fly for two runs in the fourth inning. Alex Freeland collected his first major-league RBI with the first of his two singles in the game. Shohei Ohtani singled, reaching base for the third time in the first four innings (two singles and a walk).
Meanwhile, Kershaw was breaking as little sweat as possible on a swampy Florida night while handling the Rays’ lineup. He scattered five hits over six innings, stranding runners at second and third in the second inning and at the corners in the sixth.
Wrobleski allowed just one hit while striking out five over the final three innings.
That will likely be Wrobleski’s farewell performance for now. He is likely to be sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday when the Dodgers activate Blake Snell from the injured list.
More to come on this story.
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