Freddie Freeman had a season-high four hits, three for extra bases, backing five scoreless innings by Tony Gonsolin to end the Dodgers road trip on a high note, beating the Diamondbacks 8-1 on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The win gave the Dodgers a split of the long weekend series in Arizona, and secured a 6-4 road trip over the last 10 days.
After getting shut out on Saturday, the Dodgers gave themselves plenty of chances on Sunday, getting 10 hits off Zac Gallen to match his career high. But they had trouble cashing them in for a bit, going hitless in their first eight at-bats with a runner in scoring position.
Freeman gave the Dodgers a run in the first inning with an RBI double, his 900th career extra-base hit, but that scored Mookie Betts from first base.
Going back to Saturday, the Dodgers were in an 0-for-13 slump with runners in scoring position. A Freeman sacrifice fly in the fifth inning brought home a second run, then Will Smith snapped the skid with a single up the middle to score a third run, perhaps fitting given that Smith is 16-for-32 (.500) in those situations, including a ninth-inning single to score Freeman.
The Dodgers put runners in scoring position in all six of Gallen’s innings, which helped chase him with two outs in his final frame. With Michael Conforto on third base — after the second of his two hits, his first multi-hit affair since April 13 — Gallen lobbied manager Torey Lovullo to remain in the game but lost the battle.
Shohei Ohtani promptly greeted left-hander Joe Mantiply with a single to score Conforto, hanging a fourth run on Gallen, who was watching from the dugout.
Freeman, who doubled in the first and third innings before his sacrifice fly in the fifth, added a home run off Mantiply in the seventh inning to widen the Dodgers advantage. Freeman drove in three runs on Sunday, giving him 33 RBI in 30 games this season.
Freddie splash! pic.twitter.com/mruXGYjK7E
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 11, 2025
For good measure, Freeman also singled in the ninth, his 30th career game with at least four hits and first this year.
Gonsolin was sharp for the second time this week, striking out four in his five scoreless innings. He was pulled after 84 pitches, with the added context that he made the first Dodgers start on four days rest this season, and only his third start since returning from the injured list.
The Dodgers during the 2024 regular season made only nine starts on four days rest.
Notes
- Sunday was Freeman’s 17th career game with at least three extra-base hits. One of those was a game with four extra-base hts on April 17, 2017 for Atlanta against the Padres.
- Freeman has the fourth Dodgers game with three extra-base hits this season, along with Teoscar Hernández (April 6) and Ohtani twice (April 26 and Friday).
- Betts added a solo home run in the ninth inning, giving him three hits.
- The Dodgers ended Sunday with four hits in 16 at-bats with runners in scoring position, aka four hits in their last eight such at-bats.
- Gonsolin wasn’t alone in this regard, as Clayton Kershaw pitched four innings on four days rest for Triple-A Oklahoma City in what was likely his final rehab start.
Sunday particulars
Home runs: Freddie Freeman (9), Mookie Betts (6)
WP — Tony Gonsolin (2-0): 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
LP — Zac Gallen (3-5): 5⅔ IP, 10 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
Up next
After 10 games in 10 days, the Dodgers are off on Monday. Up next is the A’s at Dodger Stadium beginning Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Landon Knack earned another turn in the rotation after his scoreless start on Wednesday in Miami, though it’s unknown yet whether he’ll start or follow an opener. Jeffrey Springs starts for the team that plays its home games in West Sacramento; he’s a left-hander.
