When the World Series began, it was difficult to predict what Freddy Freeman would be able to provide for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He left no doubt about the MVP winner.
Freeman breaks records Homering in the first four games and tying the Fall Classic mark with 12 RBIs to lead the Dodgers past the New York Yankees for their second championship in five years.
“It means a lot of my teammates were on base,” Freeman said after being awarded the World Series MVP award, named in honor of Willie Mays. “I’m glad I was able to warm up at the right time.”
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The popular slugger once again shined on Wednesday night with a two-run single in the fifth inning off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, helping Los Angeles earn a 7-6 victory in Game 5.
New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson also drove in 12 runs in 1960 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who won the championship that year on Bill Mazeroski’s famous homer that ended Game 7.
Freeman set his total in just five games against the Yankees, setting several World Series standards during that stretch.
The 35-year-old first baseman hit a homer in each of the first four games, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat. The streak began when he launched the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win the dramatic opener in Los Angeles.
Freeman’s two-run drive in the first inning Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium made him the only player to go deep in six consecutive Series games, en route to the 2021 title won with Atlanta.
He was stripped of an extra-base hit in the fourth inning of Game 5, when Aaron Judge made a sensational catch of his long drive that hit the fence.
The MVP award puts a happy stamp on a difficult season for the Freeman family. Freeman missed eight games in July and August after his 3-year-old son, Max, fell ill while watching his father at the All-Star Game festivities in Texas.
When the family returned home, Max was admitted to the hospital and placed on a ventilator after experiencing partial paralysis and difficulty breathing. He was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barré, which affects the immune system, nerves and muscles.
Max’s condition gradually improved and Freeman returned to work on August 5. The Dodgers fans greeted him with huge applause, bringing Freeman to tears.
Freeman hit .282 with 22 homers and 89 RBI this season. An eight-time All-Star and the 2020 NL MVP with Atlanta, he is a .300 career hitter with 343 homers, 1,232 RBI and a .899 OPS in 15 major league seasons. He has hit .300 or better eight times.
Freeman sprained his right ankle while trying to avoid a tag at first base by Luis Aráez on September 26 against San Diego. Dodgers missed their last three regular season gamesHe 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 during the NL playoffs due to an ankle injury. He did not play in the NLCS final against the Mets and received six days off leading into the World Series, giving the ankle time to feel better.
It certainly showed at the plate, and now Freeman will have a second World Series ring and an MVP award to help him cherish an unforgettable October.
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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