Before the Dodgers became Shohei Ohtani’s team, they were Mookie Betts’ team.
asserted
they → become → ?
Manager Dave Roberts used to say that as Betts went, the Dodgers went.
asserted
Dodgers → use → ?
He finished in the top five in National League MVP voting three of his first four seasons with the Dodgers.
asserted
He → finish → Dodgers
Now, with the Dodgers trailing the Brewers in the National League Championship Series and unable to count on a physically-limited Ohtani to jumpstart their offense, Betts will have to turn back the clock.
asserted
Betts → trail → clock
The Dodgers scored only once in the first game of the NLCS and each of the four runs they scored in the second game was the result of an error or wild pitch by the Brewers, but Betts can’t be faulted for the lack of run production.
asserted
Betts → score → production
Betts, who replaced Ohtani as the leadoff hitter last month while the four-time MVP was on the injured list, was 2-for-7 through the first two games of the NLCS.
asserted
MVP → replace → NLCS
He reached base four times in nine plate appearances.
asserted
He → reach → appearances
“Mookie’s at-bats at the top, and what he’s done over the last couple months has been very consistent,” Roberts said.
asserted
Roberts → do → months
“It’s at-bat quality at the highest level.”
asserted
It → ’ → level
In his first at-bat against Braves ace Chris Sale, Betts laid off a slider that just missed the lower outside corner of the plate to work the count full.
asserted
that → lay → count
On the next pitch Betts reached base on an infield single.
asserted
Betts → reach → single
“Really just trying to have good at-bats and try to not have a bunch of empty one-out flyouts,” Betts said.
asserted
Betts → try → flyouts
The Dodgers forced Sale to throw 24 pitches in the first inning.
asserted
Dodgers → force → inning
In the fourth inning, the Dodgers struck, with home runs by Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman moving them in front, 3-0.
asserted
runs → strike → front
The Dodgers went on to win the game, 3-1, and Betts finished with two hits.
asserted
Betts → go → hits
“When you’re getting into a playoff series and you get that first hitter seeing pitches, it sets the tone for the rest of the lineup, and also for that starting pitcher that it’s going to be a grindy day,” Roberts said.
asserted
Roberts → get → pitcher
Against the Brewers, the Dodgers face an entirely different kind of challenge.
asserted
Dodgers → face → challenge
“I don’t know that it’s super imperative for us to run up the pitch counts or anything because the back end of their bullpen is arguably better than everybody on the team,” Betts said.
asserted
Betts → know → team
“Getting to them isn’t necessarily a huge success.”
asserted
Getting → get → them
Unless Cy Young Award favorite Jacob Misiorowski is pitching for the Brewers, the Dodgers’ prime scoring opportunities to score could be against their starting pitchers.
uncertain
opportunities → pitch → pitchers
“Really scoring runs when you can,” Betts said.
asserted
Betts → score → runs
Betts described the Dodgers as being in a good headspace.
asserted
Betts → describe → headspace
“Nobody is really panicking or anything,” he said.
asserted
he → panic → ?
“Obviously we know it’s a tough task.
asserted
it → know → ?
It’s a really good ball club over there.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
We just have to start one game, one pitch at a time.”
asserted
We → have → time
Betts said he didn’t see a reason for the team to be discouraged.
asserted
team → say → reason
“It’s not like we’re playing really bad,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
“I think we’re just not getting the hits that we need to really explode as an offense.
asserted
we → think → offense
One hit can kind of lead to two and then kind of keep us going.”
asserted
hit → lead → us
The Dodgers were also in trouble in each of their last two World Series runs – they were behind two-games-to-one against the San Diego Padres in their best-of-five NL Division Series in 2024; and they trailed three games to two against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series last year.
asserted
they → trail → Series
“I think just having that experience, that’s kind of what gives us encouragement,” Betts said.
asserted
Betts → think → encouragement
“Being that we’ve been here before and we got out of it keeps us in a really good head space.
asserted
we → get → space
“Obviously, every year is different, but the same rules apply.
asserted
rules → apply → ?
We’ve got to just keep playing the game, and that’s really it.”
asserted
that → get → game
The Aporia
