The Los Angeles Dodgers started the second half of the 2024 season by hosting the Boston Red Sox on Friday night. And for the most part, the offense left a lot to be desired.
While Gavin Stone did his job in allowing just a single run, the Dodgers were unable to get runs across against Boston starter Nick Pivetta. He threw six of the seven innings in which the Dodgers were held scoreless.
But then the eighth inning rolled around. Miguel Vargas walked. Shohei Ohtani hit a ground-rule double. Will Smith was intentionally walked to fill up the bases. And then Freddie Freeman happened:
Freddie Freeman flips this game on its head with an 8th-inning grand slam! pic.twitter.com/uoMq3PJRgM
— MLB (@MLB) July 20, 2024
Freeman's eighth inning grand slam was his 15th home run of the season. Daniel Hudson came in and closed things down in the ninth to allow the Dodgers to salvage the evening entirely.
What could have been an inauspicious start to a crucial stretch instead provides a nice springboard for the Dodgers to get the offense going here in the second half. Courtesy of Freddie Freeman.