Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to emerge from their collective rut at the plate, which was largely to blame for losing the season series to the San Francisco Giants and sliding back into second place in the National League West.
Betts was just 2-for-12 with two walks and one strikeout during the three games at Oracle Park. The lone strikeout came in the ninth inning of Sunday’s loss, on what appeared to be a missed call that robbed him of what could have been a pivotal walk.
“It sucks, but he called it,” Betts said of home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo’s ruling. “Can’t change his call. It is what it is.”
In losing a 10th meeting out of their 19 head-to-head matchups, the Dodgers wouldn’t have home-field advantage against the Giants if a Game 163 is needed to determine an NL West champion. Of course, at present time L.A. is tracking to play in the Wild Card Game.
“We’re fine,” Betts said. “We’ve got a spot in the playoffs right now. We’ve just got to keep playing the rest of the season and go from there.”
After concluding their road trip with a series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers will face the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
Betts not worried about Bellinger
With AJ Pollock expected to miss multiple weeks because of a Grade 2 right hamstring strain, it again is thrusting Cody Bellinger back into an everyday role. He had recently been slotted into a platoon amid a season-long slump that has twice been interrupted by injury.
“Just to keep playing,” Betts said of his advice to Bellinger. “He’ll be all right, it is what it is. He went through an injury that takes time to heal and then he got hurt again. He’s fine.”
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