Freddie Freeman keeps the Braves’ hopes alive with a solo shot in the sixth.

Freddie Freeman is about as reliable as they come. The guy rolls out of bed in the morning and gets clutch hits. That’s what he does.

He batted .309 in 2018. He hit .309 batting from the right, .309 batting from the left. He hit .304 at home, .314 away. That’s consistent.

The Braves rode on the back of his steady offense all season long. But the first two games of the playoffs, he and the entire Braves lineup went silent. They exploded for a 5-0 lead early but that didn’t hold up.

With two outs and a five-run lead, Braves starter Sean Newcomb commited the unpardonable sin of walking a batter. Gasp. He just had to be taken out of the game immediately. And the Braves lead evaporated shortly thereafter.

Down two games to none, with the lead suddenly gone, it was starting to get tense in Atlanta. Until Mr. Automatic showed up.

Freddie Freeman hit the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth inning deep into the right field seats for a 6-5 lead that the Braves clung to.

They are still alive. The series is 2-1. They get a chance to even it tonight in another do-or-die games.

Don’t bet against Freddie Freeman.

*****
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(All times Eastern.)