The Los Angeles Dodgers moved first baseman Freddie Freeman to fourth within the lineup on each Saturday and Monday, taking him out of the highest three whereas switching Teoscar Hernández in at third. The lineup change was no slight to Freeman, however a method selection because the Dodgers went up in opposition to two left-handed pitchers.
Each Shohei Ohtani and Freeman bat left, so groups have tried utilizing their left-handed relievers in opposition to the duo. To counteract the technique, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts moved Freeman into the fourth slot.
“It’s no secret that any group that’s going to attempt to beat us goes to stockpile some lefties to attenuate Shohei and Freddie,” Roberts mentioned, by way of Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. “That’s only a method that I can counter just a little bit.”
The Braves obtained the very best of the Dodgers once they first made the change on Saturday. The Braves and left-handed pitcher Chris Sale dominated. Sale pitched six innings and gave up only one earned run whereas placing out six because the Braves took a 10-1 win.
The Dodgers noticed higher success Monday, once they earned a 9-0 shutout win over the Braves to formally take the ultimate two video games of the sequence. Freeman capitalized on his place, hitting a three-run residence run, his twenty second of the season. To make it even sweeter, Freeman hit the house run within the stadium of his former group.
Freeman’s response to transferring down within the batting order? Surprisingly content material.
“I kinda prefer it,” Freeman mentioned, by way of Ardaya. “It places them in a troublesome matchup as a result of if they carry in a lefty for Shohei, which means Mookie and Teo must face left-handed pitching. It’s harder matchups we’re making an attempt to create all through the course of a sport to make it more durable on managers.”
Exterior of Freeman, Ohtani and Hernández succeeded with the lineup modifications as they mixed for 3 extra RBIs whereas the Dodgers earned a lopsided victory. In the end, the Dodgers can choose their poison in terms of their lineup. It actually helps that they’ve three greats in Freeman, Ohtani and Mookie Betts, in addition to an All-Star in Hernández, making it laborious for his or her prime 4 to lose regardless of the order.
Photograph Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports activities
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