Dodgers’ hopes of winning World Series ride on Mookie Betts

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an opportunity to make historical past this weekend. A star-studded group considered by many as unfairly good is trying to win back-to-back World Sequence for the primary time because the New York Yankees received three in a row from 1998 to 2000. 

Getting into the Fall Basic, it felt very possible it might be the case. It felt much more possible after Monday evening’s Recreation 3 marathon, which noticed the Dodgers prevail 6-5 in 18 innings due to a Freddie Freeman walk-off residence run.

Nevertheless, an exhausted Toronto Blue Jays group demonstrated the identical resilience they’ve proven all 12 months, coming again to handily win Recreation 4, 6-2, on the street at Dodger Stadium. It was a powerful efficiency by Canada’s group, however on the similar time, a disappointing effort from the house group. 

Los Angeles’ struggles all through its lineup had been considerably masked by the unbelievable play of beginning pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani carrying it to wins in Video games 2 and three. Nevertheless, with the sequence all squared up once more, the strain now shifts again onto the Dodgers and notably one among their slumping superstars, Mookie Betts.

Mookie Betts’ tough October

Mookie Betts’ struggles all through the common season have been well-documented, because the 33-year-old put forth the worst batting common (.258) and OPS (.732) of his legendary profession so far. These ultimate numbers vastly benefited from his red-hot September to complete the marketing campaign, so he salvaged what may have been an excellent worse stat line. 

Provided that momentum to finish the season, you needed to suppose Betts would hit the bottom working within the postseason. Whereas he shredded the Cincinnati Reds within the wild-card spherical, it’s been ugly ever since. 

Betts had a whopping six hits, together with three doubles, and three RBI within the two-game wild-card sequence. But within the 12 video games which have adopted, he’s gone 9-for-51, mustering up only one further base hit and three RBI, two of which got here by way of bases-loaded walks.

It hasn’t mattered due to the brilliance of Ohtani and the beginning rotation, however the Blue Jays have gotten to the starters, in contrast to anybody in baseball. After Recreation 3, they aren’t going to let Ohtani single-handedly beat them anymore.

Due to that, the onus then falls onto the opposite famous person bats the Dodgers have. Up to now, it simply hasn’t been near ok for Betts. His World Sequence has been notably tough, wanting misplaced on the dish and overmatched in far too a lot of his plate appearances.