CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 26: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks back to the dugout in the sixth inning during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 26, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their win streak to four games with a blowout win over the division rival Colorado Rockies on Tuesday and it included a strong performance for one key player who needed it.
Veteran shortstop Mookie Betts hit two home runs, scored three runs and logged five RBI as he looks to get his season back on track after a prolonged stint on the injured list. As the team tries to get more out of Betts this season, manager Dave Roberts dropped him down in the batting order for the game and that might have helped unlock something.
“Wanting to give Betts ‘a different look,’ Roberts removed him from his customary place in the two-hole and drew up a lineup in which he was the cleanup hitter,” Dylan Hernandez wrote for the New York Post. “Betts homered in the first inning and again in the sixth. He finished with his first three-hit game of the season.”
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Calls Out ‘Negative’ Fans
Appearing in only 21 games so far this season, Betts is slashing just .190/.250/.429 so far. And just before his offensive breakout on Tuesday, the pressure from Dodgers fans seemed to be weighing on him.
“My teammates, coaches, front office have all been super supportive, and trust and believe in me,” Betts said, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo. “But I know on the outside right now that’s not really the case. There’s a lot of negative out there.”
Betts clarified that he was particularly bothered by negative reactions from those fans who otherwise were rooting for the team, and voicing their concerns that his slump was negatively impacting its goal of winning a third straight World Series championship.
“It’s like, how can you go cheer and then go and be so negative to somebody?” he asked, per Woo. “But that’s the world today, and it just sucks sometimes. It’s not like I’m out here trying to sabotage the team. I think everybody in the world knows that’s the complete opposite of what I’m trying to do.”
Los Angeles Dodgers Superstar Mookie Betts Asks Fans For More Support
While Tuesday’s two-homer game offered a sign that Betts will soon come out of his slump, he still implored the team’s fans to be patient with him as he works toward a more lasting turnaround.
“Having (the fans’) support system would definitely expedite it,” Betts added, according to Woo. “It’s a learning stage.”
One aspect of Dodgers fans’ lack of patience with Betts might be that his struggles go back to last season, when he slashed just .258/.326/.406 with significant time spent on the injured list. So if he wants to enjoy different reactions, he might have to demonstrate that his newfound production from the plate is here to stay.
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