Freeman homers in record 6th straight WS game

It seems safe to say Freddie Freeman's ankle is feeling fine.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar did it again Tuesday, crushing a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 4 to give L.A. a 2-0 lead and put himself in the World Series record books. Freeman has now homered in a record six consecutive World Series games, dating back to 2021 when he was a member of the Atlanta Braves.

The only other player to homer in five straight Fall Classic games was George Springer, who did it for the Houston Astros in 2017 and '19. Reggie Jackson (1977-78) and Lou Gehrig (1928 and '32) each homered in four straight World Series contests.

Freeman also became the first player to homer in each of the first four games of a single World Series, per Sportsnet Stats. Barry Bonds (2002) and Hank Bauer (1958) are the only other players to hit long balls in the first three contests of a series. Freeman and Springer, who went deep in Games 4 through 7 in 2017, are the only players with homers in four straight games during a single World Series, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com.

Freeman also set a new Dodgers record for consecutive playoff games with a homer, breaking a tie with Bill Madlock, who homered in three straight during the 1985 NLCS, per Langs.

Although it's only been four games, Freeman's performance already ranks among the best in World Series history. With three RBIs in Game 4, he became the seventh player to collect at least 10 RBIs in a single World Series and the only one to do it in fewer than six contests.

*Through four games

Freeman's also one homer shy of matching the single-series record.

The 35-year-old struggled through the first two rounds of the playoffs while fighting through a severe ankle sprain that limited his contributions. But Freeman has come to life on the biggest stage, hitting .313/.353/1.188 with zero strikeouts over 17 plate appearances. His first homer of the series was a walk-off grand slam - the first such homer in World Series play - to end Game 1, and he also crushed a two-run blast in the first inning of Game 3.

Despite Freeman's heroics, the Dodgers lost Game 4 11-4 and now hold a 3-1 lead in the series.