LOS ANGELES — Joc Pederson learned what it felt like to homer as a visiting player at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday.
The Braves outfielder punished an elevated pitch from friend and Dodgers ace Walker Buehler, putting it in the right-field seats. It gave the Braves a 1-0 lead, though they ultimately lost 3-2.
“I’ll probably send him a text or something,” Pederson said of Buehler. “He’ll probably text me angry. But throwing a change-up up in the zone, not a good pitch. (laughs).”
Pederson played for the Dodgers from 2014-2020. He was a key part of MLB’s most successful franchise in the last decade. Pederson, who’s from Palo Alto, Calif., helped the Dodgers get over the hump in 2020 when they won the title, eliminating the Braves in the National League Championship Series and the Rays in the World Series. He hit .389 (7-for-18) with a homer and three RBIs in the NLCS.
After signing with the Cubs last offseason, Pederson was part of their midseason purge, getting traded to the Braves on July 16. He’s since drawn rave reviews from his new team, especially for his clubhouse presence. Pederson is a lauded teammate who brings daily energy. Pederson has hit .250 with five homers and 17 RBIs over 40 games with the Braves.
While Pederson first returned to Los Angeles in June with the Cubs, he went 1-for-11 in the four-game series. He received hefty applauses from the fans when lineups were announced Tuesday and before his first at-bat.
“It means a lot,” Pederson said of the crowd’s cheers. “Put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this city, this team. These fans, they’ve been supporting us since day one. And we came up short (in the postseason) a few times and we finally brought a ring home for them and the city. So it’s really special. It’s a special place.”
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