Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman had slugged 120 home runs over seven seasons in 21 stadiums before Wednesday. Somehow none of those home runs came at Great American Ball Park, the slugger-friendly home of the National League’s Reds.
That changed during Freeman’s first plate appearance here Wednesday afternoon. Freeman’s solo home run against Anthony DeSclafani in the first inning gave the Braves a lead before they went on to lose 6-3.
Freeman hit the homer during his 19th game and 82nd plate appearance at Great American.
“This place is a graveyard, you know what I mean?” Freeman joked about the homer-hitter park. “In my career I’ve never been swinging well when I come into this park. I was able to get one over today.”
The home run was just Freeman's second hit in 22 plate appearances since the All-Star break. He had a cancerous mole surgically removed from his back during the break.
Freeman has yet to hit a homer in six other ballparks but only one, Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, is home to an NL team. Freeman has played 14 games there with 51 plate appearances.
