Freeman tagged out by Marte with a hug after first hit
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Freddie Freeman broke an 0-for-8 start to the season with a single off Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez in the second inning Saturday night, though his time on base lasted only two more outs.
- Ketel Marte fielded Santiago Espinal's grounder nearly halfway between first and second, then blocked Freeman's path with his arms outstretched, leaving Freeman no legal route to advance or retreat.
- Freeman walked into Marte's embrace, conceding the tag to end the inning, and told reporters he didn't think he'd ever be 'a part of a hug out on a baseball field.'
- Freeman explained the calculus behind the embrace: stepping out of the baseline would have meant an out anyway, and retreating would have simply let Marte jog to second base for the force.
- Freeman described himself as 'very much a hugger' and 'emotional man over here,' noting he has greeted opposing players arriving at first base with hugs in past at-bats.
Why it matters: Freeman opened the season 0-for-8 — a brief but notable cold stretch for a cornerstone Dodgers hitter — and his first knock moved him back toward expected production. The hug tag also stranded him on first with the inning over, a small zero-run outcome for Los Angeles in an early-season NL West game against a divisional rival.
