Betts praises Freeman after walk-off HR: 'I'm glad it was him'
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts was thrilled to see his teammate Freddie Freeman deliver a historic moment.
"A win is a win, but knowing what Freddie's gone through (made it) super special. I'm glad it was him that did it," Betts said of Freeman's walk-off grand slam, according to SportsNet LA.
Freeman, one of baseball's most accomplished players, has been in and out of the Dodgers' playoff lineup while managing a severe ankle sprain suffered at the end of the regular season.
The perennial All-Star also missed eight games during the middle of the season tending to his three-year-old son, Maximus, who was hospitalized after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
"Seeing Freddie doing Freddie things has been great, especially for him going through a lot this year," said Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández, according to MLB.com's Juan Toribio.
"A lot of injuries, problems with his kid and all of that stuff. But he's a guy who always stays positive, always working really hard to do whatever it takes to help the team win, and he proved it tonight."
Freeman's dramatic home run was his first of the postseason. He's now three wins away from his second career World Series title, which would be his first since joining the Dodgers in 2022.
The 2020 NL MVP slashed .282/.378/.476 with 22 home runs and 89 RBIs during another strong regular season.
Game 2 of the World Series is set for Saturday at 8:08 p.m. ET.