Freddie Freeman said on October 7, 2026, that he expected boos while playing in Atlanta in a Dodgers uniform but still expressed affection for the Braves community.
Freeman described the Dodgers' plan against Chris Sale as looking for strikes in the middle of the zone, avoiding early outs and forcing Sale out of the game early. He said the Dodgers got Sale to 60 pitches after three innings and considered getting him out after five innings a major victory regardless of the score.
Freeman explained that his home run came on an inside sinker while he was looking for strikes, saying, “Just sinker in. I got to it trying to see strikes and hit him.” He also stated that the Dodgers would attack the next pitcher by getting heaters up in the zone and avoiding splitters below it.
Freeman said postseason games are difficult to win through consecutive hits, adding, “if you can get a guy on and hit the home run, then so be it.” He praised Kiké Hernández as “a Swiss Army knife” who is ready for different roles, while Hernández has played multiple defensive positions for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Freeman said he had spent 12 years and 15 years in the major leagues overall. He also noted that he had been coming to Atlanta for five years and adjusted his swing during the bye week after determining that his shoulders had been too turned in his setup; he opened them by a couple of inches.
Freeman said, “It's all love. I still love everybody here,” and added that he would be surprised if Atlanta fans cheered for him in October while he wore a Dodgers uniform. The Los Angeles Dodgers remain prepared to face Chris Sale, with Freeman's stated approach focused on attacking strikes in the middle of the zone.