Betts Takes Charge as Dodgers Face Brewers in NLCS

There was a time when the Los Angeles Dodgers revolved around Mookie Betts before they turned their attention to Shohei Ohtani. Betts, the star of the 2020 championship team, has often been described by manager Dave Roberts as the driving force behind the team’s performance.

Now, as the Dodgers find themselves behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, they are in need of Betts to step up once again. With Ohtani’s limitations due to injury, it seems crucial for Betts to revert to his previous form.

In their NLCS opener, the Dodgers managed just a single run, and in the second game, all four of their runs came from errors or wild pitches from the Brewers. Despite this, Betts can’t shoulder the blame for the team’s struggles at the plate.

Having taken over the leadoff position when Ohtani was sidelined, Betts notched two hits in seven at-bats across the first two games of the series, getting on base four times in nine plate appearances. Roberts praised him, noting that Betts’ quality at-bats have been consistent and impactful.

The importance of Betts’ at-bats was especially evident when the Dodgers faced the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the NL Division Series. In his initial at-bat against Braves ace Chris Sale, he skillfully worked the count full before getting on base with an infield single.

“I’m just trying to have good at-bats and avoid simply hitting the ball into the air,” Betts commented.

In that game against the Braves, the Dodgers forced Sale to throw an exhausting 24 pitches in the first inning, which contributed to a solid offensive showing. They managed to take the lead after home runs from Kiké Hernández and Freddie Freeman, ultimately winning 3-1 with Betts delivering two hits.

Roberts noted how crucial early at-bats are in setting the tone for the game, underscoring the impact it has on the team’s success and the opposing pitcher’s stamina.

Facing the Brewers presents a different challenge primarily due to their renowned bullpen. Betts expressed that it may not be vital to run up pitch counts against them since their bullpen is quite formidable. Success against the Brewers might depend more on capitalizing on starting pitchers, except for standout Cy Young contender Jacob Misiorowski.

“We need to focus on scoring when the opportunity arises,” Betts remarked.

He conveyed that the team is maintaining a positive mindset despite the challenges: “Nobody is panicking. We know it’s going to be tough. We just have to take it one game, one pitch at a time.”

Betts didn’t think there was a reason to feel discouraged, pointing out that they weren’t playing poorly, but the hits just weren’t coming when they needed them to create momentum.

Interestingly, the Dodgers have faced similar situations in previous postseason runs, having been down in both their last two World Series journeys. Betts shared that their past experiences provide hope and encouragement during tough times.

“We’ve been through this before and managed to get through,” he mentioned. “Every year has its own dynamic, but the same principles apply. We need to keep playing our game.”