Dodgers Interview: Hitters left searching for answers after loss
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers left Chavez Ravine down 3–2 in the World Series, and the story was the same one that’s followed them for two games. Four hits Wednesday. One run. Too many empty trips. Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy didn’t hide from it. They gave credit to Toronto’s rookie and kept the focus on fixing the at-bats.
Freeman started with Trey Yesavage’s turnaround from his Game One start: “It was a 180 on his command from the first game,” he said. “He had everything working tonight, but we still have to put some runs on the board and do a better job. We just haven’t done that for about two and a half games.”
Muncy echoed it and sharpened the point. “Pretty bad performance by us,” he said, “but a pretty incredible performance by the kid on the mound. He didn’t give us anything to hit. He located spots very well, he executed, and we didn’t take advantage of anything.”
The contrast with Toronto’s offense stood out to both veterans. Muncy framed it simply: “You look at what they’re doing. They put the ball in play a lot and it’s finding spots. We’re not putting the ball in play a lot, and when we do, it seems to find their gloves. We’ve got to find a way to get the ball in play a lot more, and luck will turn.”
Freeman stayed on the big picture without dodging the immediate results. “They just played a better game than us tonight,” he said. “Balls in the dirt, they were on them. Guys in scoring position, they were getting them in. They pitched really well too, so they just outplayed us today.”
Asked about the recent drought and what this lineup can take from earlier ruts, Freeman kept his answer direct. “We all know what we’re capable of and we haven’t done it for two games,” he said. “Maybe a day off will cool them down over there and will reunite us.” He added that the Jays’ mini-surge wasn’t about momentum from the marathon in Game 3. “They just played better baseball the last two days,” he said. “I don’t think anybody’s thinking about a game two days ago.”
Muncy didn’t overthink the lineup shuffle or the path forward. “Got to hit the ball,” he said. “You win one game at a time. That’s what I keep saying. It’s not going to be easy, but you can’t think about trying to win two games on the road. All we’re focused on is we’ve got to win the next game.”
Both hitters separated Yesavage’s polish from the Dodgers’ missed chances. “He located every single pitch he wanted to today,” Muncy said. “Game one, he didn’t have the best command. Today I don’t think he missed a single spot, except down below the zone, which is what he wants to do. He didn’t give us anything to take advantage of.” Freeman’s version landed in the same place: “We’ve got to string some hits together,” he said earlier in the day. “Get guys on, work counts, move them first to third, get them in.”
There was also a vote of confidence for Blake Snell after the early punches from Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “I thought he threw the ball well,” Muncy said. “You look at the first two homers, it wasn’t like the balls were down the middle. They got good swings off.” Freeman pointed back to the offense. “We’ve got to score some runs,” he said. “It takes pressure off Blake if we can score some.”
The flight to Toronto will bring a familiar message. “We faced this last year,” Freeman said. “We were down 2–1 to the Padres and won two games in a row. So we can do it again.” He didn’t dress it up. “It’s plain and simple. They just played better than us today,” he said, “but we’ve been here before.”
Muncy’s closing thought matched the tone. “It sucks,” he said, “but we get a day off, we’ll go there, and you just have to win one game.”
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