Dodgers 34-year-old future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman had another game-winning hit at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

Although this one was only a single to center with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, it was good enough to score fellow future Hall of Famer Mookie Betts from second base, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 lead and the eventual final score over the visiting Kansas City Royals.

Betts had reached on a bases-empty one-out single to left, which was followed by a huge throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Royals left-hander Will Smith, allowing Mookie to take second. Although Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was unable to advance Betts on a pop up to short for the second out of the inning, it brought exactly the right guy to the plate at exactly the right moment – Freddie Freeman. On Smith’s second pitch to the extremely popular Villa Park, CA native (an 83-MPH slider), Freeman lined it into center, allowing the speedy Betts, who was going on contact, to score easily from second base without a throw.

“Freddie knows how to get a hit and to come through in that spot. I know that was a big weight off his shoulders and a big hit,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “Mookie gets on base and Freddie drives him in. So, you know, we got gifted right there, that error, you know, that errant throw over there, but it was good to see us take advantage of something.”

Although Freeman gets credit for another game-winning hit, it wouldn’t have happened without those first three Dodgers runs, courtesy of a third-inning one-out two-run home run to left field by Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas, his third home run of the season, followed one out later with a game-tying solo home run to left-center field by Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor, his first home run of the season.

Keep doing that Freddie thing, Freddie … et al.

Play Ball!

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