After dropping Game 2 at home, the Los Angeles Dodgers regrouped in an impressive way as the NLCS shifted back to New York. The Dodgers' bats caught fire at Citi Field and their pitching staff held the Mets' lineup in check, and now Dave Roberts and company are one win away from advancing to the World Series.
Outfielder Mookie Betts was the star of Game 4, finishing the night 4-for-6 with a home run, four RBI's and three runs. Shohei Ohtani also launched a big fly to lead off the game in the first inning, and the Dodgers were off to the races.
Despite having two more games at home in Games 6 and 7, the Dodgers are focused on closing this thing out in New York and moving on to the World Series.
Papi to Mookie: "Tomorrow, how are you guys going to beat the Mets because I really need some days off." 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/PE0Y64eqqM
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 18, 2024
“We know that they're gonna come back ready to go,” Betts said after the game. “(Francisco) Lindor is probably gonna have a nice speech and get them boys ready to go, but we will too. We'll be ready to come throw some haymakers tomorrow.”
The Dodgers and Mets will go at it again on Friday, with Jack Flaherty getting the start for Los Angeles and David Peterson on the mound for New York. The Dodgers will be confident in Flaherty after the gem that he threw in Game 1, allowing just two hits and no runs in seven innings. Peterson also hasn't thrown since Game 1 when he allowed a pair of runs in 2.1 innings in relief.
Mookie Betts snapping out of playoff slump as Dodgers heat up
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One of the biggest clouds hanging over this Dodgers playoff run was the extended postseason slump that Mookie Betts was in. From the 2021 NLCS against the Braves through this year's NLDS against the Padres, Betts was just 10-for-66 at the plate, including a 22 at-bat hitless streak and a 3-for-44 stretch where he couldn't seem to find the barrel.
After Thursday night's nuclear performance, Betts seems to have put all of those struggles behind him. Betts' four-hit night was a warning shot to the rest of the MLB that the former AL MVP is back to his top form, which makes taking on the Dodgers a scary proposition.
In the fourth inning, Betts ripped a two-run double to extend a one run lead to three. Then, in the sixth inning, Betts crushed a two-run home run, his second of the postseason, to blow the game open for good. The last time Betts hit multiple home runs in one postseason run as in 2020, when the Dodgers went on to win the World Series.
Betts' turnaround has coincided with that of his teammates, who have scored 30 runs across four games so far in this NLCS against a Mets pitching staff that shut down the Phillies in the previous round. If they can keep anywhere close to that same kind of production, the NL pennant will be theirs sooner rather than later.