Freeman has World Series moment with winning grand slam for the Los Angeles Dodgers

LOS ANGELES -- Freddie Freeman scooped up his youngest boy and held him tight, planting kisses connected nan blond caput of 3-year-old Maximus. The slugger's wife, Chelsea, corralled their different 2 sons for a family photograph connected nan Dodger Stadium section wherever Dad had conscionable created an indelible infinitesimal successful shot lore.

Three months earlier, Freddie and Chelsea were astatine Max’s infirmary bedside while he fought for his life aft being stricken pinch Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Max survived and thrived — and he sewage to watch his begetter make World Series history Friday nighttime for nan Los Angeles Dodgers.

Freeman is still recovering from a severely sprained correct ankle, but he had zero problem rounding nan bases aft hitting his 10th-inning expansive slam to triumph Game 1 of nan World Series complete nan Yankees. After celebrating pinch his teammates, he looked moreover much nimble erstwhile he ran and jumped astatine nan surface down location sheet to observe joyously pinch his father.

“It felt for illustration nothing, conscionable benignant of floating,” a beaming Freeman said.

“Those are nan benignant of things, erstwhile you’re 5 years aged pinch your 2 older brothers and you’re playing wiffle shot successful nan backyard, those are nan scenarios you dream astir — 2 outs, bases loaded successful a World Series game," he added. "For it to really hap and get a location tally and locomotion it disconnected to springiness america a 1-0 lead, that’s arsenic bully arsenic it gets correct there.”

After everything nan eight-time All-Star has endured since midsummer, it’s clear thing will extremity Freeman this twelvemonth from giving everything he has — some to his athletics and his family.

“He’s doing thing that’s fundamentally heroic to put himself successful position to play,” Dodgers postseason leader Kiké Hernández said. “Freddie is simply a grinder. Not excessively galore superstars grind nan measurement Freddie does. He’s a Hall of Famer, and this is simply a typical infinitesimal successful his career.”

Freeman missed 8 games for nan Dodgers successful July and August aft Max fell sick while watching his begetter astatine nan All-Star Game festivities successful Texas.

When nan family returned home, Max was hospitalized and put connected a ventilator aft he knowledgeable partial paralysis and breathing difficulty. He was diagnosed pinch Guillain-Barré, nan uncommon neurological information that affects nan immune system, nerves and muscles.

Max’s information gradually improved, and Freeman returned to activity Aug. 5. He didn’t hide his tears earlier aliases aft he received a opinionated ovation from Dodgers fans who understood nan extent of his distress.

Freeman past collapsed his correct mediate digit little than 2 weeks aft returning, and he slumped while trying to play pinch nan wounded earlier head Dave Roberts persuaded him to beryllium retired a bid successful precocious August to reset his body.

Max Freeman came backmost to Chavez Ravine successful September to watch nan Dodgers down nan stretch. The youngster is expected to retrieve fully, Freeman said.

Through it all, Freeman produced different standout play astatine first guidelines and astatine nan plate, batting .282 pinch an .854 OPS, 22 homers, 89 RBIs and 4.7 WAR.

But Freeman severely injured his ankle Sept. 26 successful nan Dodgers’ regular-season location finale. The Dodgers acknowledged nan severity of nan sprain would person kept astir players retired for respective weeks during nan regular season, but Freeman is wished to gut it retired if imaginable — because it’s October.

He has sat retired 3 postseason games, including 2 of nan last 3 against nan Mets successful nan NLCS. The Dodgers won anyway, reaching nan World Series for nan first clip successful Freeman's 3 years backmost location successful his autochthonal Southern California.

“There’s been aggregate times wherever we’ve had to spell to Freddie and say, ‘Hey, you request to beryllium this 1 out,’” slugger Max Muncy said. “‘We’ve sewage you tonight. You request to rest.’ If you cognize Freddie, that’s a difficult speech to have. But he knows what’s champion for nan team, and now he’s emotion for illustration himself capable to do what he did tonight.”

After astir a week of remainder and treatment, Freeman said his ankle “actually felt beautiful good” heading into Game 1 against nan Yankees.

He showed it successful nan first inning erstwhile he legged retired a triple — his first since June 1 — pinch thief from Juan Soto misplaying his thrust down nan correct section line.

Freeman is only nan 3rd subordinate successful shot history to get a expansive slam and a triple successful a postseason game. Kaz Matsui, who did it successful nan 2007 NLDS, is nan only different subordinate to execute nan feat since 1920.

In nan sixth inning, Freeman watched pinch awe, his arms folded, arsenic Giancarlo Stanton’s mammoth homer flew heavy into nan near section stands for New York.

But 36 years aft different seasoned Dodgers slugger deed a World Series Game 1-ending homer and limped astir nan bases successful a frenzied Chavez Ravine, Freeman took nan aforesaid hobbled jog successful nan deafening din of October celebrations.

Kirk Gibson created 1 of nan astir iconic moments successful Dodgers history successful 1988. Freeman’s blast was eerily similar, moreover landing successful astir nan aforesaid portion of nan Dodger Stadium bleachers — pinch brake lights from early-departing fans visible successful nan parking tons beyond.

Muncy deed his ain World Series game-ending homer successful nan 18th inning of nan Dodgers' triumph complete nan Boston Red Sox successful 2018, albeit successful Los Angeles' only triumph successful nan series.

“When I deed mine, you benignant of achromatic retired successful that moment,” Muncy said. “With this one, I could spot nan reactions. Feel nan crushed shaking. I was opinionated adjacent to Dave, but arsenic soon arsenic (Freeman) deed it, I conscionable launched my bat.”

Freeman’s homer will beryllium immortalized successful Cooperstown: He has agreed to springiness his cleats to nan Baseball Hall of Fame — but only aft nan World Series is over.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB