How to watch the Dodgers at Braves series as Freddie Freeman returns to Atlanta on national TV

New York Times

02-05-2025

Freddie Freeman, the Brave (Major League Baseball, not 'Lord of the Rings'), earned his spot as a franchise icon. He won an MVP and a championship ring down in Atlanta, with Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove dotting his dozen years of service. Freddie Freeman, the Dodger, is on his way to similar recognition — the California native authored an all-time-cool World Series moment that can still be heard from Elysian Park, and as of this writing, he's a career .315 hitter in LA.
Advertisement
The 35-year-old Freeman returns to face the franchise that drafted him in 2007. It's a special matchup between two of the sport's recent champions. Accordingly, all three weekend games between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers will receive national broadcasts, with the finale closing out the series on 'Sunday Night Baseball.'
By wins above replacement, Freeman is the sixth-best position player in Braves history, which dates back to 1876. He's having a great 2025, too, entering the series with a .319/.407.638 slash line. In most lineups, Freeman would be the bat for opposing arms to pitch around and for managers to account for. In this loaded Dodgers lineup, he's just another occupational hazard.
Teoscar Hernández is tied for the second-most home runs in the National League so far (9), and he's tied for the lead in all of baseball in runs batted in (32). Shohei Ohtani is the sport's top run-scorer (32), and he's coming into Friday with a steal in three consecutive games (of course). Elsewhere, Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman have cleanup-worthy barrels, while Will Smith is looking like a Silver Slugger catcher. Just for fun, Andy Pages might be coming around in his age-24 season. Sheesh.
The Braves have big bats of their own, of course. Atlanta has gone 14-9 since its disastrous 0-7 start, and took just three total Ls in its last four series (home for Twins and Cardinals, on the road at Diamondbacks and Rockies). The hosts can match Will Smith with Sean Murphy, the catcher with a team-best seven homers in only 60 at-bats. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies command respect in the middle of the order. Austin Riley's washout 2024 looks exorcised. Marcel Ozuna finds his way to first (.437 OBP, with the most walks drawn in MLB).
Advertisement
All six probable starters are right-handers. Atlanta gives Grant Holmes the opening MLB Network game, going against LA's dominant Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-2, league-best 1.06 ERA). His stuff is ridiculous and precise. As The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya says, 'there are 325 million reasons to treat Yoshinobu Yamamoto's weekly main event as must-see viewing.'
The second matchup, broadcast on Fox, has particularly cool probables. RHPs Roki Sasaki (age 23) and Spencer Schwellenbach (24) are two young talents with drastically different journeys to Saturday's mound. ESPN's Sunday game under the lights re-ups that theme music we're all still nostalgic about. It's fair to expect fireworks in that finale, as both big-name lineups get early strugglers in Dustin May and Bryce Elder.
Most wins in both jerseys: Greg Maddux (194 ATL, 8 LAD)
Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Freddie Freeman: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)