Mookie Betts Continues to Be The Dodgers’ Most Clutch Hitter

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 5, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers found themselves in a tight spot with a one-run lead in the top of the 10th inning.

The Los Angeles Angels' manager, Ron Washington, made a gutsy call to intentionally walk Shohei Ohtani, putting two runners on base. This decision brought Mookie Betts to the plate, and he wasted no time hammering the first pitch he saw for a three-run homer.

It was his fifth home run in 21 games since coming back from a broken hand.

That home run only added to what has been a clutch season for Betts.

This season, Mookie Betts is hitting .344 with men on. He is hitting .377 w/RISP. He is hitting .579 on the first pitch of a PA w/RISP. He is hitting .424 w/RISP and two outs. He is hitting .400 from the 10th inning on. He is hitting .432 on the first pitch of a PA.

— The Bill Chuck Files (@BillyBall) September 4, 2024

The numbers speak for themselves: the right fielder is hitting .344 with men on base, .377 with runners in scoring position (RISP), and an incredible .579 on the first pitch when there are runners in scoring position. He's also batting .424 with two outs and RISP, .400 from the 10th inning on, and .432 on the first pitch of a plate appearance.

As Betts rounded the bases, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

The Angels thought they made the right decisions to walk Shohei Ohtani in his official return but little did they know Mookie Betts had a 3-run homer in store for them.

Mookie has sacrificed all season long and it makes his clutch moments like tonight that much more worth it 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1yKEt8uZHT

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 4, 2024

By the time he reached home plate, his emotions were on full display, something rarely seen from him.

"That [display of emotion] doesn't happen often, so I kind of [blacked] out," Betts admitted after the game. "I just knew they walked Sho' to get to me, and I was like, alright. That's kind of what you want. I know Freddie [Freeman is] behind me, so they're not gonna mess around."

All eyes were on Ohtani throughout the game, his first regular-season matchup at Angel Stadium since signing a massive $700 million contract with the Dodgers' crosstown rivals. Despite the attention, Ohtani had no doubt in his teammate's ability.

“I’m not really surprised that Mookie came through in that kind of fashion,” he said. “It’s the kind of way we like to finish the game.”

Interestingly, this was only the third time in Betts' career that the batter before him was intentionally walked. The other two times date back to 2016, when Betts was with the Red Sox, and David Ortiz received the free pass.

“It’s a tough situation to walk a guy that got $700 [million] to get to the guy that got $350 [million],” joked Dodgers' starting pitcher Walker Buehler, referring to Ohtani and Betts. “He’s pretty good at baseball too.”

The Dodgers have been on a roll lately, winning 18 of their last 24 games. As of Wednesday, they held a 5.5-game lead in the National League West.

Reflecting on their recent performance, manager Dave Roberts said, “You look back at the last couple weeks, we’ve played some intense baseball games. So tonight, against a team that’s trying to fight and play good baseball, some young players, it’s a game that you don’t want to let down.”

With their win over the Angels, the Dodgers are proving they're hitting their stride at just the right time.