LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers entered Thursday’s off-day searching for answers, as they’ve struggled with consistency in recent months while awaiting the return of injured players. In times like these, teams often rely on their top stars to ignite a turnaround. Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, two of the league’s standout players, capable of leading the team to victory on any given night. On Friday, both former MVPs delivered early home runs that sparked the Dodgers to a crucial 9-5 victory over the Pirates at Dodger Stadium.
“Sometimes, a day off can be really beneficial,” Freeman said. “Yesterday was a good break. We came in, scored early, and gave Jack [Flaherty] some breathing room. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going tomorrow. It’s going to be an exciting game against Pirates ace Paul Skenes.”
Freeman kickstarted the Dodgers by hitting a solo home run off Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller in the first inning. It was his first homer since returning from a nine-day absence due to a family emergency involving his youngest son, Maximus.
Since his return, Freeman has been a key asset for the Dodgers, recording at least one hit in all four games. On Friday, he reached base safely three times.
“We’re amazed,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, when asked about Freeman’s impressive timing despite his absence. “Even a four-day break during the All-Star break can make players rusty, so for him to come back after eight or nine days away, spending time with his family, and still perform so well is pretty remarkable.”
In the third inning, it was Ohtani’s turn to make an impact. Although Ohtani has faced challenges recently, particularly with two-strike counts, he blasted a 448-foot, two-run homer off Keller on a hanging 1-2 slider, according to Statcast. This was Ohtani’s 35th homer of the season, allowing him to reclaim the National League lead from Marcell Ozuna. The Dodgers are now 7-0 in games where freeman and ohtani hit home runs.
