Freddie Freeman has the clutch gene.
In the playoffs, very few have ever done it better than the former Atlanta Braves and current Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman.
Freeman added to his legacy on Monday night in Game 1 of the NLCS.
With the score knotted at zero, Freeman launched a solo home run for a 1-0 lead.
In the process, he tied a Jose Altuve MLB record.
It was Freeman’s 10th go-ahead home run in the postseason in his career, and according to MLB Network’s Sarah Langs, that ties Altuve for the most such homers in league history.
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Of course, this was far from Freeman’s most memorable playoff swing.
Last season, the lefty slugger hit a walk-off grand slam to win Game 1 of the World Series. That would never be topped unless it happened in the title clincher.
So this wasn’t quite that. But it was still a special moment.
The Dodgers have a team full of stars, and Freeman is one of the brightest. He’s also a humble, lovable superstar, with children who have grown up around his teammates and gained popularity among baseball fans. Freddie feels like one of those guys who we all kind of know, at least a little bit.
But that down-to-earth-ness doesn’t mean anything if Freeman doesn’t deliver when it matters.
And it seems that Freeman knows how to hit a home run at a key time more than almost anyone else in MLB history.
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