Mookie Betts was asked by a reporter and pushed by teammate Max Scherzer to compare the Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry and Dodgers vs. Giants after Los Angeles defeated San Francisco, 2-1, in the winner-take-all Game 5 of their National League Division Series, Thursday.
Betts was asked whether the nature of this series might have pushed the West Coast rivalry past Boston vs. New York.
Betts, whose nature is to steer clear of controversy said. “I mean, yeah, yeah, no, I don’t really know.”
Scherzer wasn’t letting him off the hook.
“You got to know,” he said. “There’s only one person who is going to know.”
So Betts relented a little.
“I know, but Yankees-Red Sox, man, that’s mean. That’s different,” he said.
Scherzer continued his switch from ace pitcher to ace reporter.
“That’s fine. Say it,” he said.
Betts expanded a little more.
“This is definitely different. Maybe the different coasts, East Coast people are different than West Coast. I don’t know,” he said. “But it’s definitely, it’s definitely a lot of fun to be a part of a rivalry like this and just being able to, just being a part of it, being able to contribute in it is just fun.”
Betts plays for the Red Sox from 2014-19 and beat the Yankees in the ALDS en route to Boston’s 2018 World Series championship. He was traded to the Dodgers before the 2020 season.
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