Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates after his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer against his former team and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat Atlanta 9-0 on Monday night, dropping the Braves out of a playoff position.
Shohei Ohtani was 0 for 4 with a walk and a pair of run-scoring grounders that increased his RBIs total to 108. He did not hit a home run or steal a base during the series, remaining at 47 home runs and 48 steals as he tries to become the first 50-50 player.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed four hits and two walks in four innings, throwing 72 pitches in his second start since returning from a right arm injury — up from 59 on Sept. 10. The Dodgers extended their scoreless streak to 15 innings and pitched their 13th shutout.
NL West-leading Los Angeles (89-61) began the night 3 1/2 games behind second-place San Diego. The Dodgers scored nine runs on just four hits for the second time since 1906: The other was on June 4, 2021, also at Atlanta. After losing the first two games of the series by a combined 16-3, the Dodgers outscored the Braves 18-2 over the last two.
Atlanta (81-69) dropped one game behind the New York Mets (82-68) for the NL’s third wild card spot. The Braves were 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 10 against Yamamoto.
Los Angeles took advantage of seven walks, a hit batter, and a wild pitch. Miguel Rojas was 1 for 1 with two walks and three runs scored.
Fried threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the first after Rojas walked, advanced on a grounder, and stole third. Rojas’ run-scoring single and Ohtani’s RBI grounder boosted the lead to 3-0 in the fifth.
Freeman capped a six-run seventh with his 22nd homer after Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernández drove in runs.
