Freddie Freeman hits 59th double of season in Dodgers’ 6-2 win over Giants
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Freddie Freeman hit his 59th double of the season and scored on a three-run homer by J.D. Martinez, and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Friday night.
Wilmer Flores homered and hit an RBI single for the Giants, who were managed by bench coach Kai Correa. San Francisco fired manager Gabe Kapler earlier in the day, three games before the end of his fourth season.
Freeman doubled with one out in the sixth inning, matching Todd Helton in 2000 for the most doubles in a season in the majors since 1936 and the seventh-most all-time. Smith was hit by a pitch before Martinez delivered his 33rd home run, chasing Giants right-hander Keaton Winn (1-3).
Smith hit a two-run homer in the first, and Freeman went deep in the third.
Lance Lynn (13-11) allowed two runs on two hits, struck out four and walked four over six innings to win his third straight decision after he didn’t factor into a 10-inning win against the Giants his last time out on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
The Giants (78-82) — who will finish with a losing record after going 81-81 last year — need two wins this weekend to win the season series for the first time since taking 10 of 19 in 2021. Los Angeles has won four of the last five in the rivalry.
San Francisco has been limited to two runs or fewer in now six straight games and dropped to 8-18 in September — worst in the National League and tied for last in baseball for the month.
Winn was activated before the game to make his fifth career start and first since Sept. 16 at Colorado. He had been on the COVID-19 injured list since Sept. 19.
PAYING TRIBUTE
The Giants honored the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein — a California Democrat who was also San Francisco’s first female mayor — with a moment of silence. Feinstein died Thursday night at age 90.
WILLIE MAC AWARD
San Francisco second baseman Thairo Estrada received the 2023 Willie Mac Award, named for the late Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, in a pregame ceremony.
The honor is voted on by players, coaches and training staff to recognize the Giants player who most exemplifies McCovey’s inspirational ways on the field and in the clubhouse.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: 1B Max Muncy had the night off to rest as a precaution to keep him fresh. Manager Dave Roberts would like to see Los Angeles (99-61) reach 100 wins this weekend but not at the risk of anyone’s health ahead of the playoffs. “I think we’ve put ourselves in position to do that, I think it’s worth something, in the sense of not to compromise health of any player,” Roberts said.
Giants: 3B J.D. Davis was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained left shoulder he hurt on a slide in the first inning of Tuesday’s game. … LHP Kyle Harrison, who was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday due to illness, is set to pitch Sunday’s season finale. … OF Mitch Haniger was placed on the 10-day IL with a low back strain retroactive to Tuesday.
ROSTER MOVES
The Giants recalled INF Casey Schmitt from Triple-A Sacramento and optioned C Joey Bart to Sacramento. RHP Luke Jackson was reinstated from the paternity list.
UP NEXT
Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (13-4, 2.42 ERA) pitches Saturday night in his final regular-season start, looking to improve on his 26-15 career record vs. San Francisco — and the 1.99 ERA that’s his lowest against any opponent with a minimum of 30 starts. RHP Tristan Beck (3-3, 4.05) takes the mound for San Francisco.
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