Los Angeles Dodgers - 6, Toronto Blue Jays - 5.
Q. What is the mindset as they're walking Shohei over and over again to pitch to you and Mookie, and then you had constant situations where you had runners on base and extra innings because of the way it was set up and it's like then you finally come through with --
FREDDIE FREEMAN: With no one on. (Laughing). Weird how the game works sometimes, right? Shohei's game, I hope we don't lose sight of getting -- our starting pitcher tomorrow got on base nine times tonight (laughing). Just incredible. It's just kind of -- when you're that hot and you're hitting balls right center, left center like Shohei was tonight, you just knew he was feeling good. So that's the right move. You don't want Shohei to beat you and let other guys try and beat you after his first four at-bats and took a lot longer, but we finally did it.
Q. Can you talk about and put into words how exhausted you were on the 18th inning. To us it's, oh, it's just swinging the bat. I know it's more than that. Can you tell us how tired you were at that point?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: I mean, to be honest, I wasn't actually that tired. When you have your bullpen doing what they were doing, it just keeps firing you up over and over and over again. If you're tired in a World Series game, that's kind of -- I don't think anybody's tired after that. But it's just when you're going through all that, 0 after 0, I was just trying to get on base against a tough lefty, sinker baller with a hard curveball just trying to get on, but got to a 3-2 count and was able to put a good swing on it.
My swings were getting better as the game was going on. I thought I had a couple hits in, I don't know, 21 innings ago (laughing). It just felt like my swing was getting better and better and, thankfully, I was able to get one over.
But I don't think we're physically tired. I think you're just mentally tired because you're in it every pitch, and every pitch means something in the World Series and in the playoffs. So I think we're all emotionally and mentally drained.
Q. You've hit a bunch of balls seemingly on the screws, even going back into Toronto and then tonight a heck of a ball that looked like. At any point do you get frustrated? Do you get annoyed?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: I mean, the one in Toronto I thought I hit way better than the one to center field where it still was like 20 feet short. It's not -- I'm not getting frustrated. It's because the ball's on the barrel, so I know if I keep staying with that. If I try and switch it up, then I'm going to most likely not be on the barrel. So if you just keep putting good swings on it, sooner rather than later it's going to be what you want.
But, yeah, as the game went on, the ball was going a little bit more true for me to center field and left center. The one that Myles ran down in left center off Lauer that's -- even though I got out, I was like, okay, there it is. I finally felt that I would stay behind the ball and drive it, and it just made my confidence soar and thankfully Will Klein, MVP of this game, was able to throw more zeros up, and I was able to get up again.
Q. Of all the times that you guys nearly won the game in extras, Will Smith's flyout, Muncy's foul ball, which one kind of stood out as the dugout getting most excited like maybe that was going to be it?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, I think it's more of you just -- as an offense, you're trying to get on. It felt for a couple innings we were trying to do too much, and one of us was just trying to hit a home run, and then as we started getting -- passing the baton, Max got the walk, Teo got hit. We just didn't get the hit that we needed.
So it was starting to look like better at-bats after a few at-bats where I think we were just trying to do too much. But as the innings got on, we were getting closer and closer to the ball going over the fence and, thankfully, our bullpen kept throwing zeros and we got one.
Q. Have you talked to Yamamoto? I mean, if it wouldn't be because of you --
FREDDIE FREEMAN: He would be pitching. Yeah, I know. Yeah, we hugged him. But that's a testament to our team that he's willing to go do that. It took every single guy tonight, and for him to want to do that, I think that just shows you who we are as a group. We'll do anything to win the game. But for him to go out there -- and I did see him warming up, and I was like, oh, man that is -- we got to keep this guy out of the game.
But, yeah, even though he didn't come into the game, I think that just shows you who we are as a group.
Q. You kind of alluded to it a little bit, but how do you describe Shohei reaching base nine times, and then you look up and he's your starter for tomorrow?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, I think -- didn't he give a quote that he said he was feeling better at the plate before the game? I think he did. He definitely was. He's a unicorn. There's no more adjectives you can describe Shohei. It's 4-4, five walks, he finally got to pitch, pitched two in his last at-bat, and he still had the patience to not be trying to do too much and get on base. He's just incredible. We've been talking about him since he got here in 2018. We're still running out of words to describe a once-in-a-ten-generational player.
Q. It was about seven hours, almost Tuesday, so did your lovely children get to see that moment?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: Did who?
Q. Your lovely children.
FREDDIE FREEMAN: I didn't see 'em on the field, but I know they were here. I don't know if they got taken home. One of 'em woke up at 7:30 this morning, so not so sure if he made it. I know Charlie's going to be here for sure. I just don't know if the 4-year-olds made it. My whole family was on the field except for my kids, so I would assume no one got taken home. So I would assume my kids are still here. But I guess after we finish this, we'll see where they're at.
Q. When you hit the walk-off last year, you said this is the sort of thing that you dream about in the backyard playing whiffle ball. Did you dream about doing it twice?
FREDDIE FREEMAN: Yeah, I mean, no, I don't think you ever come up with a scenario twice, but you just kept getting the opportunities over and over again. The one I flew out to center field, I was just really trying to hit a single there and get a base hit and move on and get this game over with three hours ago.
But when you're in those situations over and over again, it's kind of what you -- you're always in -- like, that's what you're talking about as kids. And last year it was always bases loaded, you know, and two outs, bottom of the 9th. I know it happened in the 10th.
But to have it happen again a year later, to hit another walk-off, it's kind of amazing, crazy, and I'm just glad we won and we're up 2-1, and we got our Shohei on the mound tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports