Freeman capitalizes on opportunity in Tribe's win

NEW YORK -- Mike Freeman doesn¡¯t play every day for the Indians, but when manager Terry Francona gave him a chance to face the Yankees on Sunday -- starting him at third base in place of the red-hot Jose Ramirez -- the utility infielder made it count.

In his first at-bat against CC Sabathia -- making possibly his final start against his original club while returning from the injured list -- Freeman rocked a 1-1 slider deep to right-center, notching a three-run homer to cap off a four-run second inning for Cleveland.

That was the beginning of a breakout 3-for-4 day at the plate for Freeman, as he paved the way for the Indians¡¯ 8-4 victory at Yankee Stadium. He also knocked a pair of leadoff doubles that led to three more runs for Cleveland, courtesy of Oscar Mercado's RBI single in the sixth and Mercado¡¯s two-run homer in the eighth.

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Those insurance runs came in handy when New York attempted a last-ditch rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs before closer Brad Hand shut the door. The Indians earned a series split with the American League East leaders, finishing a tough weekend by keeping pace with the Twins in the AL Central race.

¡°How about Mike Freeman?¡± Francona said. ¡°[He] plays maybe once a week, every so often, and he gets a game where he has to face a lefty and he ends up being our most productive hitter. That¡¯s kinda been the way he¡¯s been all year for us, that true professional. When we say, ¡®Stay ready¡¯ -- that¡¯s my definition. Everybody was thrilled for him.¡±

Freeman¡¯s offensive performance backed a strong outing from Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger, who threw five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out 10. The right-hander watched as Freeman helped provide the run support he would need to earn the victory -- upping his record to 6-0 since July 17.

¡°It¡¯s incredibly impressive for him, having time off, not seeing pitches, to [then] step in,¡± Clevinger said. ¡°It speaks volumes for him.¡±

Prior to the game, Francona said that Sunday had been planned as a scheduled off-day for Ramirez. Freeman, however, only found out the night before that he would be filling in for his team¡¯s best hitter in the series. Ramirez has a career .370 batting average in 37 games against the Yankees -- his highest batting average against any AL opponent and the highest vs. New York among active players -- and he had gone 6-for-11 with three homers and seven RBIs in the first three games.

Freeman, meanwhile, had only appeared in the series at the tail end of Cleveland¡¯s 19-5 blowout win in the opener. But Francona knew Ramirez could use two days of rest between the Yankees and Mets series on the team¡¯s Big Apple road trip, so he put his trust in Freeman, who rewarded his manager¡¯s confidence, jokingly saying after the game that he was ¡°trying to do my best Jose Ramirez impression.¡±

¡°I feel like it¡¯s just my mindset more than anything -- certainly it¡¯s easier said than done to have the results.¡± Freeman said. ¡°... But I think a lot of guys that are in my position, that¡¯s the reason they say it¡¯s one of the tougher things to do, because results aren¡¯t always there. It¡¯s different than guys who play every day because [they] have tomorrow. As a utility guy, it makes those days like today a little extra special to contribute and help the team win a game.¡±

For the 32-year-old journeyman -- who was drafted in the 11th round in 2010 and didn¡¯t make his Major League debut until 2016 -- Sunday was extra special because it was also the first time he had ever played a full game at Yankee Stadium.

Before the game, Freeman said that he took a walk through Monument Park, looking in awe at all of the history surrounding him. His grandfather on his mother¡¯s side helped him appreciate the sport from a young age, so it felt surreal to be standing in the midst of it while it was quiet and empty.

¡°It¡¯s special when no one¡¯s there,¡± Freeman said.

Now, he has his own little piece of history in the Bronx.