The Los Angeles Dodgers' NLDS clash against the Atlanta Braves has to be emotional enough as it is for Freddie Freeman. After all, Freeman spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Atlanta, and for Game 3, he'll be facing fans who cheered him on during the formative years of his big-league career as a member of the opposition. And he entered Game 3 to a chorus of boos from the fans at Truist Park.

Making matters more difficult for Freeman in Game 3 was that he was going to face Braves ace Chris Sale, a fellow lefty. The Dodgers first baseman had an OPS of .680 against same-sided pitching this year. However, none of that mattered in the top of the fourth inning. After Kike Hernandez opened the scoring with a two-run homer against Sale, Freeman followed that up with a solo shot with two outs to pad the Dodgers' lead in an eventual 3-0 win over the Braves.

Freeman may be heating up for the Dodgers at the right time, as he also homered in their Game 2 loss to the Braves. Whatever the case may be, LA can rest assured that the 37-year-old will be leaving it all out there on the line, as he so succinctly told Justin Verlander in a postgame interview with FOX Sports.

“You're really just trying to hope he makes a mistake and you're on time for it. It's an extremely hard at-bat for a lefty. I always say, against him, you got to be prepared to die. Really, that's the mindset,” Freeman said. “Anything against Chris, you're trying to find something positive going in.”

Couple of legends!

Freddie Freeman wasn't expecting to hear @JustinVerlander ask him a question tonight on our show after the @Dodgers win 😅 pic.twitter.com/GnsQ9NkCuO

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 7, 2026

Article Continues Below

That home run against Sale just proves that Freeman is playing like a man with nothing to lose. He already has three World Series titles under his belt, and the pressure no longer fazes him.

He may have wanted to stay in Atlanta after the 2021 season. But he surely must be thanking his lucky stars that he signed for the Dodgers, the team that's now on the verge of making it to the NLCS yet again now that they're up 2-1 in the series against the Braves.