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LOS ANGELES – When Mookie Betts goes, so do the Dodgers. That seemed to be the unofficial slogan for the Dodgers during their 2020 World Series run, and it could very well be it again this season.
With Betts leading the way by connecting on his fourth homer of the season, the Dodgers sent an emphatic message to the Giants, sweeping the two-game set with a 9-1 win on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Even in a star-studded lineup as the Dodgers, the team is usually at its best when Betts is swinging a hot bat. While that hasn’t always been the case early in the season, the former MVP has found his swing and is now 9-for-22 with two homers during his current six-game hitting streak.
Betts got the Dodgers’ first rally started in the fourth inning with a leadoff single off Giants starter Alex Wood. Freddie Freeman went on to walk, setting the stage for Trea Turner and Will Smith to deliver with a pair of RBI singles. In the sixth, Betts added a solo homer to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.
On Wednesday, Betts scored two of the Dodgers’ nine runs and now is tied for the Major League lead with 23 runs scored. The Dodgers are 12-2 when Betts scores at least one run. They’re also 11-4 when Betts records a hit.
But what makes this Dodgers lineup dangerous is that it isn’t just a one-man show. Eight of the nine starters picked up at least one hit on Wednesday. Freeman picked up his first triple as a Dodger and leads the team with a .299 batting average. Max Muncy snapped an 0-for-15 slide with a pair of hits, including a two-run homer in the eighth. Justin Turner, who has struggled at the plate, also snapped an 0-for-17 skid of his own. Gavin Lux also picked up a pair of hits.
After their seven-year reign atop the NL West came to an end in ‘21 at the hands of the Giants, the Dodgers said they wouldn’t be taking any games against their longtime rival for granted, even those in May.
The Dodgers are looking to reclaim the division. Led by Betts and a potent offense, a message was sent at Dodger Stadium this week.
