Freddie Freeman Convinced Dave Roberts to Make Crucial Decision in Game 5 With One Look

Karl Rasmussen | 4 Hours Ago

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates after winning the 2024 MLB World Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

One of the most significant managerial decisions of the 2024 World Series was made by Dave Roberts late into Game 5 when he opted to keep Blake Treinen on the mound in the eighth inning during a one-run game.

Roberts admitted he received some unspoken help from Freddie Freeman when it came to making that decision.

Roberts visited the mound to gauge how Treinen was doing after the veteran surrendered a double to Aaron Judge and walked Jazz Chisholm. With Giancarlo Stanton due up in the batting order, the right-handed reliever unsurprisingly bargained to remain in the game.

Treinen induced a softly-hit fly out from Stanton, and Roberts had planned to pull him after that at-bat, before catching a glance from Freeman out of his peripheral vision.

"I give Freddie credit," Roberts said, via ESPN. "Freddie was waving me off. He kind of subtly kind of said, 'Hey, let him stay in.' So then I trusted the players, and Blake made a pitch."

Roberts left Treinen on the mound to face Anthony Rizzo, despite approaching 40 pitches at that point and throwing into a less favorable matchup in terms of handedness. He struck him out on four pitches, paving the way for Walker Buehler to take the ninth inning and shut the door on the Yankees.

Had Roberts not caught the glance from Freeman out of the corner of his eye, he may have opted for a pitching change, which could have drastically altered how the remainder of the game played out.

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