Dodgers' Freddie Freeman reunites with Braves, then slugs home run off former team as part of emotional day

LOS ANGELES — One thing, more than any other, took Freddie Freeman by surprise during his first series from Dodger Stadium — the amount of times fans chanted his name, after a decade-plus of jeers when he played for the visiting Atlanta Braves.

«They're chanting every time I go up to bat,» Freeman said with a laugh, «like I gotta do something special every time.»

Those chants came again in the bottom of the first inning Monday, when Freeman strolled to the batter's box to face his former team for the first time. This time, Freeman lived up to their expectations, lining the second pitch he saw into the left-center-field gap and over the fence for his first home run as a member of the Dodgers.

Welcome to LA where the players play. pic.twitter.com/pps1QUGXFZ

About a half hour earlier, Freeman was on the field alongside his wife and three kids to receive the Silver Slugger Award he won last season. By his side were Braves manager Brian Snitker and hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, both of whom were instrumental in his development as one of the best hitters in the sport.

Moments later, a video tribute was played for Kenley Jansen, the Dodgers' celebrated former closer, who was greeted by Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts, third baseman Justin Turner and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman with framed mementos from his first career save in the summer of 2010.

Monday's series opener between the Dodgers and Braves presented a rare, emotionally charged pairing of two franchise icons who coincidentally — and, in both instances, shockingly — signed free-agent contracts to join one another's teams last month.

Jansen, the converted catcher who saved 350 regular-season games in a dozen years with the Dodgers, got lost on his