Overview
- Tuesday night at Chase Field, Diamondbacks starter Michael Soroka threw multiple pickoff attempts to first base against Freddie Freeman, drawing a bemused reaction from the 36-year-old Dodgers first baseman.
- Freeman, who homered in the first inning, finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs in a 6-5 Dodgers victory that evened the series and helped Los Angeles improve to 39-22.
- The on-field moment reflected Freeman’s decline as a theft threat: he has only two stolen bases this season and made light of Soroka’s attention with a visible laugh and a shrug.
- Analysts and reports noted Freeman’s low sprint speed this year, placing him in the seventh percentile according to Baseball Savant as cited by coverage, which helps explain why opponents rarely worry about him running.
- The episode also carried personal context: Soroka and Freeman were Braves teammates from 2018–2021 and share ties to Team Canada, which framed the pickoff attempts as friendly banter rather than hostility.