Dodgers’ Freeman joins 2,000-hit club with double

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman collected the 2,000th hit of his career Sunday, an eighth-inning, run-scoring double, drawing a raucous standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd upon reaching second base.

Freeman, 33, became the sixth active player to reach the milestone, along with Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus and Andrew McCutchen. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, with 1,961 career hits, is next closest among active players.

The 2023 season — the second of a six-year, $162 million deal signed in March 2022 — also saw Freeman hit his 300th home run, doing so with a grand slam against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 18.

His latest milestone triggered a rally.

With the Dodgers trailing by three runs and down to their last four outs, Astros setup man Rafael Montero plunked Mookie Betts with a full-count changeup. Four pitches later, while hitting in the afternoon shadows, Freeman turned on another changeup low and outside and lined it into the right-center-field gap, scoring Betts to cut into the lead. The next batter, Will Smith, tied the game with a two-run homer to straightaway center field.

Montero was removed thereafter and “Fre-ddie” chants filled the air, prompting Freeman to come out of the dugout for a curtain call.