By MIKE FITZPATRICK
NEW YORK (AP) — Freddie Freeman broke a pair of World Series records Tuesday night when he homered yet again for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 against the New York Yankees.
The slugger laced a two-run shot to right field in the first inning for the second consecutive night, making him the first player to go deep in the first four games of a World Series. The run began with his walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning of Game 1.
Freeman also became the lone player to homer in six straight World Series games — his streak dates back to the 2021 championship he won with Atlanta against Houston.
George Springer went deep in five consecutive Series games for the Astros from 2017-19. He is the only hitter besides Freeman to connect in four consecutive games during one World Series, doing it in Games 4 through 7 in 2017 against the Dodgers before hitting another home run in the 2019 opener versus Washington.
The only other players to homer in the first three games of a World Series were Yankees outfielder Hank Bauer (1958) and Giants slugger Barry Bonds (2002).
Following a one-out double by Mookie Betts, Freeman lined a 2-1 slider from rookie starter Luis Gil over the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium for his 14th career postseason homer.
The ball landed in the first few rows of seats, a little to the left of the 314-foot sign in the corner, and a pumped-up Freeman shouted in excitement toward the Dodgers’ dugout as he rounded the bases.
His drive came on the 15th pitch of the game and put Los Angeles ahead 2-0 — same as Monday night, when Freeman homered to right off Clarke Schmidt.
That one gave the eight-time All-Star a homer in five straight Series games.
“Let’s hopefully make it six,” Freeman said following a 4-2 victory in Game 3.
Los Angeles held a 3-0 Series advantage going into Game 4, needing one win for its second championship in five years and the franchise’s eighth overall.
Looking much healthier after a sprained right ankle slowed him earlier this postseason, Freeman connected for the first game-ending grand slam in World Series history to win a dramatic opener in Los Angeles.
Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP with the Braves, missed three games during the National League playoffs this year because of his ailing ankle. Coming into the World Series, he had one RBI and no extra-base hits this postseason before legging out a triple his first time up in Game 1.
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