When the World Series began, it was difficult to tell what kind of performance Freddie Freeman would perform for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He left no doubt about being the MVP winner.
Freeman set the following records: He hit home runs in his first four games and set a Fall Classic record with 12 RBIs, helping the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees for their second championship in five years.
“That means I have a lot of my teammates on base,” Freeman said after receiving the World Series MVP award, named for Willie Mays. “I’m glad we can get warmer at the right time.”
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The popular slugger hit a two-run hit in the fifth inning off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole on Wednesday night, helping Los Angeles win Game 5 7-6.
New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson also drove in 12 runs in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won that year on Bill Mazeroski’s famous home run in Game 7. occupied.
Freeman compiled his totals in just five games against the Yankees, setting several World Series standards in the process.
The 35-year-old first baseman hit a home run in each of his first four games, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat. The streak began when he hit the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win the dramatic opener in Los Angeles.
Freeman celebrated the 2021 title he won in Atlanta with a two-run shot in the first inning Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, becoming the only player to reach six straight series games.
He was robbed of a long ball in the fourth inning of Game 5 when Aaron Judge caught a long ball and hit the fence.
The MVP award brings joy to the Freeman family during a difficult season. Freeman missed eight games in July and August after his 3-year-old son, Max, became ill while watching his father at All-Star Game festivities in Texas.
When the family returned home, Max was hospitalized and placed on a ventilator after suffering partial paralysis and difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré, a rare neurological disease that affects the immune system, nerves and muscles.
Max’s condition gradually improved, and Freeman returned to work on August 5. Freeman shed tears as Dodgers fans applauded loudly.
Freeman had a batting average of .282, 22 home runs, and 89 RBI this season. The eight-time All-Star and Atlanta’s 2020 NL MVP is a career .300 hitter with 343 home runs, 1,232 RBI and an .899 OPS over 15 major league seasons. He batted over .300 eight times.
Freeman sprained his right ankle while trying to avoid Luis Arez’s tag to first base in a game against San Diego on September 26. Missed the Dodgers’ final three regular season games. He had no RBIs in the NL Division Series against the Padres and only one RBI in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
Freeman missed three games in the NL playoffs due to an ankle injury. He did not play in the NLCS finale against the Mets and was off for six days heading into the World Series, giving his ankle time to heal.
It certainly showed at the plate, and now Freeman will have an unforgettable October to cherish as he earns his second World Series ring and the MVP award that comes with it.
The Associated Press reported.
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