If you are among those who gave up on Dodgers veteran left-hander Rich Hill after he gave up a two-run home run to New York Mets first baseman Jay Bruce in the top of the second inning and then a two-run home run to left fielder Michael Conforto in the top of the third inning, you missed out on what was arguably the gutsiest pitching performance by the 38-year-old Boston, Massachusetts native in his three seasons in a Dodger uniform. Fortunately, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was not one of them, even though he had Max Muncy on-deck to pinch hit for the 14-year MLB veteran in the bottom of the third inning and right-hander Josh Fields warming in the bullpen.

Neither were needed, as the unlikeliest of Dodgers – back-up catcher Austin Barnes – slugged a two run home run to left-center field to cut the 4-0 deficit in half. And even though it was only the second home run of the season for the (then) .203-hitting Fullerton, California native, it was enough to convince Roberts to leave Hill in the game a bit longer … a very wise decision.

After a shaky start in his first three innings on Tuesday night, Hill retired 10 of the next 11 Mets batters he faced in his six innings of work. (Photo credit – Juan Ocampo)

All Hill did over the next three innings was allow no additional runs and only one additional hit – a two-out double to Mets shortstop Amed Rosario in the top of the fourth inning – while his teammates mounted a huge 11-run / 13-hit come-from-behind victory (again) to give the crafty left-hander his seventh win of the season. He finished the night having allowed only those four runs on seven total hits, while striking out eight and walking only one.

A wise decision indeed.

“Rich had a couple rough ones, tough ones, but for him, stuff got better as the game went on,” Roberts told reporters after the game. “And to get through six innings was a big lift.

“Just a couple bad pitches. I thought the stuff was pretty good. Not as good as … it was pretty good, pretty good,” Roberts added. “He just made a couple bad pitches that they ended up hitting out of the ballpark. Sometimes with Rich he gets better as the game goes on and that’s exactly what happened tonight.”

And then there’s newest Dodger David Freese, who began Tuesday night’s game as Roberts’ starting first baseman. The man best known for his epic home runs during the 2011 NLCS and World Series while with the St. Louis Cardinals (which earned him MVP honors in both series) slugged his first home run in a Dodgers uniform in the bottom of the fourth inning to pull the Dodgers to within one of the faltering Mets.

“This is a club that the whole nation knows about, so you have a pretty good idea coming in what you’re getting yourself into,” Freese told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo immediately after the game about his new team, which he joined at the August 31 waiver trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates. “But to be around these guys for a few days and relax a little bit and settle in, man, I can’t lie, this is awesome, I’m having a blast!”

But it’s what the 35-year-old Corpus Christi, Texas native and 10-year MLB veteran said to Rizzo about his first home run in Dodger Blue that immediately endeared him with Dodger fans around the world.

“Never thought I’d hit a homer wearing this uni, so it’s pretty badass,” Freese said with a huge grin.

“Never thought I’d hit a homer wearing this uni, so it’s pretty badass.” – David Freese
(Image courtesy of SNLA – Click on image to view video)

But Freese wasn’t done after his first home run in a Dodger uni and his 10th of the season. He added his second RBI of the night when he doubled in pinch-runner Tim Locastro from second base during what would end up being a six run seventh inning that put the game on ice for the Dodgers and secured the win for Rich Hill.

…in case you might be among those who gave up on the Dodgers veteran left-hander after the third inning.