ST. LOUIS -- Former Cardinal and St. Louisan David Freese had a 14-pitch at-bat that included nine foul balls in the first inning of the Dodgers' 9-7 win at Busch Stadium on Thursday night. On the 14th pitch from left-hander Austin Gomber, Freese ripped a two-run triple past third that scored Chris Taylor and Manny Machado.
Freese then scored on Matt Kemp's bloop single, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Freese, upon joining the Dodgers in a trade with Pittsburgh on Aug. 31, immediately checked their schedule and was thrilled they had a September series at Busch Stadium. Freese was ill when the Pirates came to St. Louis for a three-game series from Aug. 28-30.

"Signing with Pittsburgh in March of 2016, one of my first thoughts was the fact that I would be able to come back here a few times a year," Freese said. "Then I got traded and checked the schedule, and we were coming right back in two weeks later. It's always great coming back here and seeing the fans."
Both the Dodgers and the Cardinals are vying for a postseason spot as the season enters its final two-plus weeks.
"I'm excited to be a part of this," Freese said. "I miss Pittsburgh and I miss the guys in Pittsburgh, but I'm enjoying it here. I'm in the back end of my career, sitting at 35 years old. You never know how much longer you're going to play, so this is neat."