Sports
Reinvigorated Mookie Betts provides the spark in Dodgers' blowout win over Padres
This time, Mookie Betts did not take a hard left-hand turn between first and second base and start jogging toward the third-base dugout in Petco Park.
One night after the Dodgers right fielder thought he was robbed of another home run by San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar, a misunderstanding that resulted in an awkward trot that included a U-turn from the back of the mound to second base, Betts took a more traditional route around the bases in the first inning Wednesday night.
That’s because there was little doubt his 401-foot shot off Padres starter Dylan Cease would clear the center-field fence, the homer setting the tone for an 8-0 National League Division Series Game 4 victory over the Padres that tied the best-of-five series at two games apiece and set up a winner-take-all Game 5 in Dodger Stadium Friday night.
“When you come on the road, you can’t just book a homer or a crooked number in the first inning — hitting is still hard,” Roberts said. “But for us to strike first, to get to Cease early, to get to their bullpen, obviously it gave us momentum. And it started with Mookie right there.”
It did not end there for Betts, who followed Shohei Ohtani’s two-out RBI single in the top of the second by slapping reliever Bryan Hoeing’s first pitch into right field for a clutch RBI single and a 3-0 Dodgers lead.
It marked the second straight game in which Betts hit a home run and a single in his first two at-bats, though his two-hit effort on Tuesday night came in a 6-5 Game 3 loss. Will Smith also hit a game-breaking two-run homer in the third inning, and Gavin Lux hit a tack-on two-run shot in the seventh.
“Mookie has been big,” Roberts said. “Obviously, we’ve got a lot of good players, but it’s not on one player, clearly, and today Mookie shined. [Tuesday] night, Mookie shined. And Will had a big hit.
“That’s the great thing about having good players. They don’t need to do anything more than they’re capable of. They just have to do what their abilities allow for. And that’s what they did tonight.”
Mookie Betts follows through on his solo home run in the first inning Wednesday against the Padres.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
That was the gist of Roberts’ message to Betts during Monday’s off-day workout, after Betts had gone hitless in four at-bats in Sunday’s 10-2 Game 2 loss to extend a playoff slump in which he hit .068 (three for 44) in 12 games dating to Game 4 of the 2021 NL Championship Series, including 0 for 11 in last season’s NLDS loss to Arizona.
There was so much noise rattling around in Betts’ head and he was feeling so much negative energy from Dodgers fans and the media that he decided to unplug from the outside world.
“I had to turn off all social media because that was all negative,” Betts said. “I had to get some positive vibes in me, and my team did it.”
Roberts stressed to Betts on Monday that he didn’t need to be a playoff superhero, that being Mookie was enough.
“When you look at [great] postseason performers, it’s not that they over-performed their career stat line from the regular season — what they’ve done [in the playoffs] is what they’ve done in the regular season,” Roberts said Monday.
“But on that stage they’re considered [great] postseason players. So in this case, all we expect is for Mookie to be the same player he is in the regular season. And that’s it.”
Those words apparently got lost amid the estimated 300-400 swings Betts took in the batting cage Monday.
“I don’t even remember Doc’s message on Monday, to be honest, it seems like it was so long ago,” Betts said. “I think I just needed to see one fall, man, and to get a little confidence. My teammates did an amazing job trying to instill confidence in me.”
One teammate who has been in Betts’ ear constantly is infielder Max Muncy, whose locker is next to Betts’ in the Dodgers home clubhouse.
“When they walk Shohei to pitch to him and he gets a big hit, I tell him, ‘Hey, you’re getting paid $400 million too, bro, you’re still one of the best players in the game,’ ” Muncy said. “Sometimes you’ve just got to give them a reminder.”
In case Betts forgot, he is an eight-time All-Star, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner and the 2018 American League most valuable player who starred on both sides of the ball while leading the Boston Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title and the Dodgers to the 2020 World Series title.
“I know he’s had his struggles in the postseason, but he’s still one of the best players in baseball,” Muncy said. “He’s been an unbelievable postseason player in the past. He had a rough stretch. I think the biggest thing for him was getting out of his head. Now that he’s had a couple of hits, he can get back to being Mookie Betts.”
Sports
Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU
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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.
Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.
When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.
Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”
Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.
“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”
Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.
“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.
Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.
Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.
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Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.
The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.
He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.
As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.
The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.
Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.
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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.
There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.
It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.
Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.
Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.
Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.
Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.
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