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Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the second inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws to the plate during the second inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
TAMPA, Fla. — It was meant as a joke, one of the seemingly millions of memes sparked by the Coldplay concert video. But the Dodgers might eventually vote a playoff share to the person who sent it to Freddie Freeman.
Seeing the video of his walk-off grand slam in last year’s World Series with the Coldplay couple overlaid on the action, Freeman didn’t focus on them but on his swing mechanics. He needed to get more “into” his front ankle, he decided after consultation with his father.
He came out of an extended slump after that and continued to surge Friday night, driving in three runs with a double and a home run. That backed a combined shutout by Clayton Kershaw and Justin Wrobleski as the Dodgers emerged from the trade deadline with a 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Not thinking about that at all. This time, just swinging it, hitting it,” Freeman said after the win. “Two weeks ago, I was thinking about being in my ankle. But now I’m not thinking about it. I’m just getting in the box and swinging now.”
Maybe it was the general spring-training feel of their surroundings at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home away from home while hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field undergoes repairs. But the Dodgers’ offense more closely resembled the one they thought they would have back in spring training.
That offense was among the least productive in the majors during July – 28th in runs scored for the month (3.8 per game), 28th in batting average (.226), 26th in OPS (.677) and fifth in strikeouts (226).
“I think there’s a little heightened focus. I don’t know what triggered that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, pointing to positive signs of re-awakening recently. “It’s a long season, and to expect guys to be locked in for 162, that’s probably a hard ask.
“I just want to see us win pitches and take good at-bats. And if we do that, we’ll score runs.”
Freeman began to turn things around for himself almost two weeks ago. Whether his ankle had finally healed, it was time for him to forget about that ankle or the adjustment sparked by that meme, Freeman has gone 14 for 39 (.359) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 10 games since.
He doubled in two runs in the first inning Friday then ripped a home run leading off the fifth.
“I don’t know. I just was trying to get more in my front side two weeks ago. Now I’m not even thinking about that,” Freeman said. “So I don’t know if I’m in my front side more or not. I’m just on time a couple times today and the last few days. So I feel good. Seeing the ball well. I’ve been taking some pitches, working a couple of walks, getting deeper in counts, hitting the pitches I need to hit.”
In between Freeman’s extra-base hits, the Dodgers strung together four hits and a sacrifice fly for two runs in the fourth inning. Alex Freeland collected his first major-league RBI with the first of his two singles in the game. Shohei Ohtani singled, reaching base for the third time in the first four innings (two singles and a walk).
Meanwhile, Kershaw was breaking as little sweat as possible on a swampy Florida night while handling the Rays’ lineup.
“First-ballot Hall of Famer,” Freeman said. “He was in the pool all day yesterday with his kids, and he goes out there and throws six shutout innings. He is absolutely incredible.”
Kershaw stayed out of the deep end Friday. He scattered five hits over six innings, stranding runners at second and third in the second inning and at the corners in the sixth.
“Just better command overall today,” Kershaw said. “The slider was definitely better. The last one (start) in Boston it wasn’t very good. I was able to throw the slider a little bit more, the curveball for strikes which is nice. Will (Smith) did a good job, identified that they were taking that early. So to be able to get ahead with that was nice.”
Wrobleski allowed just one hit while striking out five over the final three innings.
That will likely be Wrobleski’s farewell performance for now. He is likely to be sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday when the Dodgers activate Blake Snell from the injured list.
The Dodgers’ win came in front of a packed house of 10,046 – not much smaller than the crowds the Rays frequently drew at Tropicana Field across the bay in St. Petersburg but a sellout in the New York Yankees’ spring training stadium.
“I played a lot of games in this park, so nothing new to me,” Freeman said of his days in Class-A and Grapefruit League spring games with the Atlanta Braves. “This definitely reminded me of the Gulf Coast League in 2007. Sticky.
“They did a really good job getting this place together though. I haven’t been here in probably five or six years, and right here (his locker in the clubhouse) used to be the training room, and it used to be one table. So I was interested to see how they did it. They did a really good job. But I really like playing here, because we got a win.”
The Dodgers’ collective tolerance for the outdoor facility will be tested Saturday and Sunday when they play day games. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 90s with Florida’s trademark humidity making its sweltering presence felt.
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