At the plate, Freeman looks to be shiftier than any defense

Title this one Freddie Freeman vs. the Freak Defense: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Shift.

As the Braves’ first baseman goes about his torrid April, hitting over .400, he as much as any player in the majors is mocking the fad of tilting the infield — utilizing three gloves on one side of the diamond — to mess with a pull-hitter’s Zen.

“Put four guys on the right side of the field, I don’t care,” Freeman said. “It’s on me to beat them. They are trying to beat me in a way. And I got to beat them back.”

And then he’ll express his affection. “I love it because I get more hits out of the shift than it has taken away from me.”

Shift happens.