Mookie Betts Is Scoring Runs At An Insanely Historic Rate | The MLBbro Can’t Miss The Dish

Mookie Betts put on a full display of his talents in Saturday night’s victory over the Phillies.  From hitting a home run, to driving in two runs on a double and throwing out what would have been the go-ahead run at home plate. He once again showed that when he’s on, he is the biggest star in Hollywood.

 

Scoring Machine

Nobody in Major League Baseball has crossed the plate to score more than Mookie Betts has this season. The former MVP added two more runs to his league-leading total of 40 after Sundays 4-3 loss to the scrappy Philadelphia Phillies. He’s on pace for 157 this season. That would make him the second player since 1950 to score over 150 runs, the other being Jeff Bagwell who did it in 2000 with the Houston Astros.

 

 

Betts got the Dodgers offense started Saturday with a 3rd inning home run off Zach Wheeler to even the score at one a piece.  It was his third home run in seven games and his ninth overall this season.

 

 

Fast forward to the 5th inning, full count, two outs with runners on first and second as his Dodgers trailed 4-1.  Betts hit a ball deep into the left center field of Citizens Bank Park.  As he rounded second, Betts fell and appeared to injure his left arm.  Trainers would come out to help him, but he would ultimately decide to stay in the game.

“I tried to turn on the jets but then realized I don’t have the jets anymore,” Betts said in his post game interview with a smile on his face.  “I slipped on the base and put my arm down, not sure what happened but it was just a little stinger that went away after a minute or two.”

That play had Dodger fans holding their breath as they watched their superstar agonize in pain.  He is at the top of the list for a majority of Dodgers hitting statistics including leading the team in runs scored and home runs while being in the top three for RBI, on base percentage and slugging percentage.

To cap off his Saturday night, Betts made what might have been the biggest play of the Dodgers season.

 

 

With the bases loaded and one out in the 7th inning, Betts tracked down a line drive, made the catch and threw out a runner with a perfect throw from right field to keep the score tied at four.  It was the third runner Betts has thrown out in the last two weeks.

“That situation is kind of what you live for,” said Betts.  “It does not happen very often.  I long toss and do everything just to be ready for that moment, it gives you a little adrenaline rush.”

The Dodgers would go on to win their seventh game out of their last 10 as Mookie Betts continues to be in MVP form during a season manager Dave Roberts described as World Series or bust.

Betts seems to be taking on that challenge personally.  He got off to a slow start but attributed that to a few instances of bad luck where the ball just could not find the ground.

Over his last 15 games, entering Sunday, Betts was batting .308 with 15 RBI, five home runs, 15 runs scored and a .646 slugging percentage.

This week Betts and his Dodgers travel to the nation’s capital to take on Josh Bell and the Washington Nationals before heading to Arizona for a divisional matchup against the Diamondbacks.