NL DIVISION SERIES: DODGERS VS PHILLIES

October 6, 2025

Freddie Freeman

Citizens Bank Park

Los Angeles Dodgers

Postgame 2 Press Conference

Dodgers - 4, Phillies - 3

Q. In that seventh inning, it seemed to me that was the kind of inning you guys have maybe lacked and wanted all season where you string together hits, add on. And then the aggressive base running, with Teo breaking from third and you going straight to second on what looked to be a single.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Luzardo was amazing. 96 to 99 with a slider, sweeper and the change-ups to Shohei and obviously to the righties. That was a tough, tough game for us.

When Teo gets the hit in the seventh inning you're doing anything you can to not ground into a double play, is what I was thinking, just trying to see if I could do something to get him to second base. Thankfully I was able to lift the slider up into right field.

Just the reason I went was he was going to the line. I thought he would have to do a spin throw to second base. Trying to keep things going, put pressure on them. So I felt like I got out of the box pretty good on it.

I just kind of calculated that him going to the line -- I didn't hit it as hard because I hit it off the end of the bat a little bit. I just wanted to push the envelope in that situation since we hadn't had anything going on since the first inning.

Obviously some huge two-out hits that we got in the seventh inning by Will and then Shohei too. Great play by Teo getting his foot in. A lot of good things happened in that seventh inning.

Q. Can you walk us through the last play in the ninth, just what you were seeing picking that ball?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think we've got to go back. There's things you do in Spring Training that never come throughout the regular season. And the wheel play that we pulled off on that bunt, that was picture perfect by Max and Mookie. I want to throw that out there. I know we might overlook that. But that was huge getting that guy out.

Obviously Tommy threw one into the dirt. Thankfully I was able to catch it and stay on the base. But that was -- I think I told Lauren after the game my gray right here might be up to my sideburn now. That was a stressful inning.

Q. Mookie, Max mentioned the wheel play during the pitching change?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: The conversation during was that, obviously. And if we run the wheel play that means there's no one at second base. So that's when I chimed in, I said if he bunts to third base, Max, you throw to Mookie. Tommy goes to first and I'll sprint to second base if it's not coming to me. That's why you saw me running to second base. We were just coming up with a plan on the wheel play to make sure he couldn't go home to second. Obviously they pulled it off perfectly.

Q. But what does it say about Mookie to be able to execute in that kind of spot at this position that he's been (indiscernible)?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I hope everyone realizes how hard it is to switch positions and then do it at an elite level that Mookie has done it at this year.

We were talking about doing a wheel play a couple of weeks ago in a certain situation as well. So that's been on our mind to kind of bring that out in that situation, and that was just the perfect time to do it.

Nick obviously is not Trea Turner running, so we had a better chance of that. That's why we were gung ho on that wheel play. And obviously Mookie and Max and everyone just confident in pulling that off. And I mean everything was just perfect on that play.

Q. I'm guessing you're a journalist like Jack, but if you take a moment, hit pause and sit back and look at the position you guys are in in terms of the series right now, how important were these two games here?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: I think we were just sitting at our locker as I was getting dressed, and Kiké said, we just took two here. This is a hard place to play. Incredible fan base. It's loud here.

For to us come out here, we were, like, get one. Obviously when we won two days ago, that's when we tried to gung ho and get two out of here. This is a hard place to play. We obviously put ourselves in great position going into Wednesday.

Hats off to our starting pitching again. They were countering each, 0-0. That's what you've got to do in this series is match zeroes. It's hard to score runs in this environment, especially on the road. And Blake just kept us in the game. Just keep throwing zero up there until we can scratch one across.

To get two in this environment is obviously massive. You can't understate it. This is a really hard place to play in the regular season, let alone here. This is my first time ever playing here in the playoffs. It is loud.

Just hats off to all of us to pull out two wins here.

Q. Two weeks ago nobody expected Roki to pitch in this kind of situation. How confident do you have when he pitches in this kind of situation?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Every time he comes in. Today is the most pressure situation you can obviously be put in. Guy in scoring position, first and third, two outs, bottom of the ninth on the road.

To get thrown into that and to be calm, I thought the first-pitch splitter was a really good pitch. It was around the zone, so you knew he was calm and collected.

He was throwing 100, 101. It's every one, we thought, when we signed, it just took a little bit longer. Sometimes that happens, and he looked so good on the mound now, so confident. Even when he gets the outs, you can just tell, almost looked like he knew he was going to get it done. It's a massive weapon for us this whole postseason now.