TORONTO — Perhaps it was only a matter of time for Mookie Betts.
The Dodgers’ shortstop had hit a wall at the plate through the first five games of the World Series, collecting only three hits in 23 at-bats. It got to a point where manager Dave Roberts moved him down in the order — he hit third in Game 5, then fourth in Game 6 — which he had been reluctant to do during Betts’ prolonged slump in the first two-thirds of the regular season.
With the opportunity to do damage in the third inning of Game 6 on Friday night at Rogers Centre, Betts finally cashed in.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman had thoroughly dismantled the Dodgers’ lineup through the first two innings, striking out five of his first six hitters. L.A. broke through when Tommy Edman hit a one-out double in the third, then got on the board after Will Smith doubled him home following an intentional walk to Shohei Ohtani.
Freddie Freeman walked, too, loading the bases for Betts, who had yet to drive in a run this World Series. Betts fell behind in the count 1-2 but got a fastball up in the zone on the fifth pitch, shooting it through the left side of the infield for a two-run single that scored Smith and Ohtani.
“Hopefully he can build off that confidence,” Roberts said on FOX. “I know that’s a big weight off his shoulders. He finally got a pitch he could hit and did something with it, put the barrel to it. That was a big at-bat.”
The Dodgers have their backs against the wall in Game 6, one loss away from failing to defend their title. If they can get Betts back to resembling his usual self, that would go a long way toward forcing a Game 7.
