Betts is hit by a pinch-hitter during she helps the Dodgers hit two home runs during the lower part of the ninth to secure the 3-2 win, which was a come-from-behind triumph which was their record-breaking 104th win of the season.
LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts was in the field on this game on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks with only 12 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter during his nine-year career. Two of those plate appearances were hit-for-hit, however, both resulted into an RBI.
In his one at-bat on the previous day, Betts did it again. His bases-loaded single off Diamondbacks player Joe Mantiply with two outs in the ninth inning helped the Dodgers to a 3-1 win in front of an estimated audience of 47,907.
The Dodgers were down by a run as a result of an Christian Walker home run against Craig Kimbrel in the top of the ninth inningat the time Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts told Betts to prepare to pinch-hit to Joey Gallo in the bottom of the inning in case of need.
Betts wasn’t accustomed to playing the position. He’s not used to days off , and has had just two since returning from a brief stint on the injured list in July 3. He took a trip to the bat area and picked up the bat.
At the time Cody Bellinger scored on an infield single by Max Muncy to tie the game at 2left-handed Joe Mantiply was on the field to pitch for Arizona in a tie-breaking game. Gallo took a seat and Betts was seated on the deck.
“I was ready,” he added.
The victory was the culmination of a tension-filled game that saw Dodgers starting pitcher Julio Urias dazzled, Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen reacted with a fumble, and Kimbrel was unable to keep his cool before the Dodgers came back to beat Mantiply and his former teammates Reyes Moronta.
The Dodgers won their 104th time of the season ended two-game losing streak, and concluded a five-game series against the Diamondbacks (70-81).Urias took a comfortable 5 1/3 of an inning. He gave up just one hit in the 3rd inning. It was which was caused by an error throw from 2nd baseman Gavin Lux. The left-handed player decreased his leading National League earn-run rate to 2.25 and also surpassed the 162-inning mark necessary to be eligible for an ERA title.Urias was not able to earn the victory, but he pushed ahead in what could be a close finale to win his National League Cy Young Award. He had only thrown the 89th pitch before Evan Phillips took over with one out in the sixth inning however Roberts stated that he was conscious of keeping Urias to play in the playoffs.
“Coming off his last outing, this (start) was on regular rest, the first time in quite some time,” Roberts declared about Urias. “So trying to figure out ways to score two more runs in an inning when we were facing Evan facing a match that we were content with, I couldn’t see any benefit by saying that he had pitched 6 innings.’
“He’s been an ace for us all year long, and it’s more of trying to manage the workload and pick spots.”
Urias did not dispute the reasoning of his manager.
“It was a lot of pitches in that inning, or in that game, and he felt like that was the best decision for the team,” Urias stated via an interpreter. “You’ve to be respectful of the decision he made. There’s a long way to go before we can think of the playoffs. This was the best decision we could make in the scenario.”
The Dodgers were down 2-1 at the time Bellinger began the ninth inning with a single against Moronta who was assigned to be assigned from the Dodgers on August. 20 and was claimed two days after from the Diamondbacks. Bellinger’s 378-foot fly struck the wall in right center couple of feet from the home hit.
In the midst of one off, Moronta intentionally walked Freddie Freeman. A single in the infield by Smith added bases. Mantiply took over Moronta’s place with Muncy who is a left-handed hitter, who was due.
Muncy hit an dribble off the back of his bat, which landed him at third base. No out was recorded for the play. Bellinger scored on the play, and the game was tied at 2-2.
Mantiply hit off Justin Turner, but could not get rid of Betts who llined an easy 3-and-2 slam to left field. Freeman scored which sent the Dodgers into the dugout to rejoice.
“It was a great win considering how well Gallen threw the baseball,” Roberts declared. “I didn’t think anyone was going to score runs off him tonight.”
Gallen gave up one hit over eight dominating innings. He set a new record by striking out 13 times. He limited the Dodgers to just two hits.
Fortunately, both hits came when there were just two runs in the fourth in the fourth. Smith hit the ball up to left field, which Stone Garrett could not catch when he swung towards the foul line. The ball was dribbled all up towards the track and Smith ended up at third base, scoring three runs.
Another batter Muncy was able to turn on an asymmetrical cutter and hit an in-line drive to the first base. The ball bounced off Christian Walker’s glove and into the right field and Smith was able to score easily.
It was the Dodgers who only scored a run until the ninth in the ninth. Gallen was a supper for the lower third of the lineup: Gallo, Lux, Trayce Thompson and Bellinger together, they went 1 for 11 and have 10 strikeouts. The right-handed pitcher has the third spot in the National League in ERA (2.46) just behind Urias as well as Miami’s Sergio Alcantara.
The game was unfinished until Kimbrel’s season-long problems resurfaced in the ninth innings.