ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman has frustrated plenty of pitchers over the past few years, but he has recently picked on Padres pitching to enhance his MVP credentials.
Freeman gave the Braves a one-run lead when he drilled an opposite-field home run off Padres left-hander Clayton Richard in the fifth inning of the Braves' 9-3 loss Friday night at SunTrust Park.
Showing his ability to hit for power to all fields, Freeman got his barrel on Richard's 90-mph inside fastball, then watched it carry over the left-center-field fence. The lefty-hitting slugger leads the Majors in lefty-vs.-lefty batting average.
Meanwhile, Richard had allowed just one home run to a left-handed hitter dating back to the start of the 2017 season.
Freeman leads the National League in batting average (.342), on-base percentage (.434), slugging percentage (.597) , OPS (1.031) and hits (90). He ranks third in home runs.
The slugger also has tallied six of his 15 homers within a span of 34 at-bats dating back to June 5 in San Diego. He is 7-for-20 with three home runs against the Padres this year.