Watch: Freddie Freeman battles with injured ankle to score as Mookie Betts embraces him at home plate

LA Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman scored on a two-run RBI single from Max Muncy in the first inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead against the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday. Muncy hit the ball to right center field, on which Mookie Betts first reached home plate, followed by Freeman, who charted the path from second, hustling while also grimacing with pain.

When Freeman reached the plate, Betts was waiting for him, embracing him as the two hustled to give the Dodgers an early lead against the Mets at Dodger Stadium.

Freddie Freeman might have been on the injured list if not for the postseason, where everything matters more. Freeman is nursing from an ankle injury sustained in a regular season game just before the postseason started, leading him to miss the final regular season series against the Colorado Rockies.

Freeman played the first three games of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres before the Dodgers rested him for Game 4. He returned in Game 5, where he went 1-4 in the Dodgers' 2-0 win to advance to the championship series.

Mookie Betts gave props to Freddie Freeman after Game 5 win

While Freddie Freeman didn't have a major impact on the outcome of the 2-0 game, his presence on the field is in itself a major boost for the Dodgers, who had an all-hands-on-deck moment in an all-important Game 5 clash.

During an interview with SportsNet LA after the win, Mookie Betts was all praise for Freeman, who is playing through injury so that the Dodgers can be better on both ends of the plate.

"I mean, you know, I think it goes unnoticed," Betts told SportsNet LA. It goes unnoticed by everyone, but on the outside, people don't know what Freddie goes through. On the inside, we know how hard he fights, what he's going through, and how much he wants to win.

"You really can't ask for a better leader, a better teammate, or a better person than Freddie Freeman."

The Dodgers will be hoping Freeman can complete this postseason without aggravating his injury while at it.