Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ win streak stayed alive Tuesday night, but it didn’t come easy — especially for Mookie Betts. In a game that saw the veteran shortstop make a costly early error, Betts turned things around in dramatic fashion with a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning off former teammate Chris Sale, leading the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Braves and their seventh win in a row.
The night started on a rough note for Betts. A miscue on a routine ground ball allowed Atlanta to score in the top of the third, a mistake he owned up to immediately. “I didn’t get a good grip on it and I thought I still had a little bit of time if I could get a grip,” he said. “So I went through the motion and didn’t get a grip and I tried to hold it, but… just a dumb play. It’s really just a dumb play.”
But in the bottom of the sixth, Betts got a chance to flip the script — and did so in a big way. With Sale cruising through the Dodgers’ lineup and showing his trademark command, Betts stepped in and launched a solo shot into the left field seats. “He’s not one of the best pitchers in the league on accident,” Betts said of Sale. “He pitched a really, really good game. It really just came down to one swing — unfortunately for him, it was me and it went over the fence.”
Betts knew he had to be aggressive at the plate. “He throws a lot of strikes,” he explained. “I think he only threw like 70-something pitches, 80-something pitches, and only had like 20-something balls. So you’ve got to go up there and get ready to swing. It’s just a matter of what you’re going to get. He was mixing it up pretty good.”
The blast wasn’t just big because of who it came off of — though that added a little spice. Betts and Sale were teammates in Boston, and the two have a deep mutual respect. But more importantly, the homer erased Betts’ earlier mistake and helped lift a Dodgers squad that continues to show its resilience.
“It’s a long season,” Betts said. “Teams go through stretches like this and so it’s really just important for us to keep our head down and play one inning at a time, the same way we’ve been doing.”
Betts has preached that message since Spring Training, insisting that the team isn’t chasing records or looking too far ahead. “I wouldn’t say it’s gratifying,” he said when asked about the team’s hot start. “I think it’s our mindset, it’s our culture that we’ve created. It’s just something that we do — something that’s in our DNA. So if we’re not doing that, then something’s wrong.”
The big swing also came with a fun sidebar — a bit of light-hearted talk about Betts’ size. The 5’9″ slugger, never known for his power, continues to defy expectations with his ability to clear the fences. “How many pounds was that homer?” a reporter asked. Betts laughed and replied, “Still scraping the wall, but they’re going over. I’m 167 now, so… getting closer, getting closer. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but as long as they’re going over, that’s all that matters.”
Beyond his offense, Betts also spoke candidly about how things are going at his new position. This is his first full season playing shortstop, and while it’s been a learning curve, he’s proud of the progress so far. “I think it’s gone really, really well,” he said. “Everything according to schedule. I’m working, doing everything I can to be successful at the position for the team. But I’ve got to clean it up. I can’t be making mistakes like that.”
One of the highlights of the night, even beyond his homer, was getting to watch Dustin May make his long-awaited return to the mound. May threw five shutout innings in his first big league appearance in nearly two years. Betts, who has seen May’s recovery journey up close, was emotional about what it meant. “It was amazing,” he said. “Just knowing the journey that he’s been through, knowing that I’m able to see a lot of it — the frustrating things, the buildup — and then to start the day the way he did, he did an amazing job. We can’t ask for anything more than what he did today. I’m just glad to have him back.”
When asked about May’s rare and serious esophageal injury that delayed his comeback, Betts recalled the team’s reaction. “I don’t remember off the top of my head — it was just like, ‘What?’ You don’t really understand what that really meant,” he said. “It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of one of those stories you just make up, but it was actually true. It was just one of those weird situations, but God was just working His magic.”
With the team firing on all cylinders, Betts isn’t getting carried away — even as the Dodgers continue to look like one of baseball’s most complete squads. For him, it’s all about sticking to what’s worked so far.
“There’s no more fun than any other game,” he said. “We’re just taking it one inning at a time.”
That approach, combined with a little power and a lot of perspective, helped Betts turn an early mistake into a game-winning moment. It’s just another chapter in what’s shaping up to be a very promising season for the Dodgers — and for their do-it-all shortstop.
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