ATLANTA – Whether at Turner Field or Truist Park, Braves fans cheered for every one of the 134 home runs they saw Freddie Freeman hit in Atlanta over his 12 years with the club.
Even the three he’d hit at Truist Park since joining the Dodgers received at least a smattering of cheers.
But when Freeman sent a deep line drive toward the left-field corner in the Braves’ 3-1 loss in NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday night, those cheers were reserved for left fielder Mauricio Dubón after he leaped to rob the former Atlanta icon of a potential two-run home run.
With the Dodgers and Braves locked in a scoreless tie in the third inning, Dubón tracked Freeman’s 101.3 mph liner and timed his jump perfectly. The crowd, which booed Freeman each time he stepped into the box, erupted as Dubón bounced off the wall and landed cleanly while flashing the ball.
“It was an amazing catch, but I don't think it surprised anybody because the guy has been a walking highlight reel for this team since Day 1,” said Braves ace Chris Sale, the main beneficiary of the run-saving grab. “So, you know, you’ve got to love the effort right there, for sure."
Freeman, though, got the last laugh.
Just one inning later, Freeman -- again greeted by a chorus of boos -- hit a ball he made sure wouldn’t be caught. Turning on a sinker inside off the plate, Freeman, playing in his first postseason game in Atlanta since he helped the Braves win the 2021 World Series, hit a towering shot that cleared the wall in right-center field.
He had finally hit a home run in Atlanta that Braves fans could not bring themselves to cheer for.
“I've got a gray uniform on; I expect boos. It’s OK,” said Freeman, who also homered in Game 2. “I've had wonderful experiences with the white uniform on here, and I loved every second of it. I get it. This is a game. We're trying to win the game. They want to win it for their team.”
Freeman’s homer was the second of the inning off Sale, after Kiké Hernández had taken him deep just two batters earlier. It was a surprising turn of events after Sale recorded each of his first six outs via strikeout.
And when Sale finally needed his defense in the third, Dubón was there to answer the call.
“I'm just trying to help the team out somehow, some way,” Dubón said. “Just trying to help Chris Sale out a little bit. He's our best pitcher, one of our horses. He’s one of the main reasons we're here.”
Unfortunately for the Braves, Dubón’s catch ultimately became nothing more than a silver lining instead of a potential game-changing moment.
“I wish I could have helped him make that a game-saving catch,” Sale said.