How Mookie Betts got his October groove back

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5 months ago

October 11, 2024

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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff WriterOct 11, 2024, 02:20 PM ET
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LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts spent part of his 32nd birthday practically locked inside Petco Park’s batting cage. It was Monday afternoon in San Diego, an off day from an impassioned National League Division Series and an opportunity for its participants to separate from it. Betts took the opposite approach. He swung and swung and swung, outside and indoors, against soft tosses and high velocity.

Two nights later, after a series-tying Game 4 victory, relief filled the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ clubhouse. Their season, volatile as it might be, had been saved. And Betts had been a catalyst, homering in a second consecutive game and following with a run-scoring single. Perhaps, his teammates and coaches hoped, Betts had put his confounding 0-for-22 postseason slump behind him. Perhaps, as the Dodgers prepare to confront the rival San Diego Padres in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Friday night, he can once again drive their offense.

“Mook’s our guy,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “He’s one of our leaders. He’s still one of the best players in baseball. I know he gets a little bit overshadowed because we have Shohei Ohtani, but that guy’s still getting paid $400 million too. He is one of the best players in baseball, and he’s been one of the best players in the postseason. I know these last two years haven’t shown that, but, I mean, come on. Look at what he’s done in the past. He can still do it in the postseason. I think he just needed to get a couple hits to get it out of his head.”

IF THERE WAS a moment that seemed to epitomize Betts’ struggles in recent playoffs, it came early in Sunday’s Game 2. The first pitch Yu Darvish threw to Betts was a sweeper that did not tail far enough outside. Betts followed its path, lofting it deep into the left-field corner for what seemed destined for a home run. It wasn’t until Betts got midway to third base that he realized Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar had reached over the wall and traversed an eager group of Dodgers fans to secure the baseball. It was an out, the first of four for Betts on this night. By the end of it, his postseason hitless drought — spanning NLDS exits in 2022 and 2023 — had stretched to 22 at-bats, tied for the fourth-longest ever by a former MVP.

After the game, Betts took no solace in the near-homer.

“They’re all outs,” he said of his at-bats. “So, all terrible.”

Hitters typically embrace a process-oriented mindset. If a batter saw a pitch well, if his mechanics were sound, if he met his bat’s barrel with the baseball, he’s often satisfied, regardless of the outcome. So much of a hitter’s results are out of his control — after all, pitchers dictate the action — that focusing solely on the decisions that lead up to them can serve as a useful defense mechanism.

Betts is different. He cares about his process, but it’s the results that matter most. A batted ball that should have sailed over the fence but resulted in an out might bring him down; a broken-bat single that found space in the outfield might get him going. Early in the series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could see the pressure of snapping his hitless drought bleed into Betts’ at-bats.

“It’s up to all of us,” Roberts said the day after Game 2, “to make sure he’s in a good head space.”

Roberts planned to chat with Betts after the team made its 120-mile drive south to San Diego. He wanted to remind him that he can’t change the past, especially not prior Octobers. That he needed to keep his focus on the present. And that the Dodgers don’t need him to be anything more than what he was during the regular season. But Roberts never had that conversation. Too many of Mookie’s teammates were already in his ear.

Their message boiled down to one central point: You’re still Mookie Betts.

“He’s one of the best at it,” Muncy said. “Sometimes you just got to remind him that.”

BETTS TOOK A couple-hundred swings in the batting cage Monday, give or take a few dozen, leaving some of his teammates to sit around the clubhouse and wonder when he might be finished. As the sun was setting, he ventured outside to hit off a high-velocity pitching machine stationed atop Petco Park’s pitching mound.

Betts was joined by Chris Taylor and Andy Pages, two Dodgers position players who have been used sparingly in October and needed to get reacclimated to velocity. Betts kept his focus to the opposite field, repeatedly lifting pitches toward the right-center-field gap, and spoke in detail with Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc after each session.

The 2024 regular season was a turbulent one for Betts. He began by transitioning to second base, shifted to shortstop near the end of spring training, got off to an MVP start offensively, missed nearly two months with a fractured left hand, then returned to right field and moved into the No. 2 spot in the Dodgers’ lineup. Betts still finished with a .289/.372/.491 slash line, performing 45% above league average based on OPS+. But he developed bad habits near the end of September and watched them spill into October.

Most of the off day was spent tweaking Betts’ prepitch load so that his hands got back into an ideal “launch position” before beginning his swing, Van Scoyoc said. Betts swung until he found it.

“That’s what I know,” he said. “I work.”

WHEN BETTS FEELS right inside a batter’s box — when he feels like Mookie Betts — he tends to lift the right side of his upper lip, a half-snarl, like a dog growling at an intruder.

Roberts saw that look emerge in Game 3 on Tuesday and took solace.

The Dodgers lost 6-5 but Betts performed. He snapped his hitless streak with a first-inning home run off Profar’s glove — Betts was so convinced it had been caught that he turned toward his dugout before reaching second base — and lined a single to right-center field in his second at-bat. He followed with a 97 mph one-hopper that was cleanly fielded by Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts and a 368-foot fly ball caught by center fielder Jackson Merrill.

The following morning, the Dodgers learned Freddie Freeman, nursing a sprained right ankle, would be unavailable. With their season on the line in Game 4, they’d stage a bullpen game without one of their three best hitters in front of a raucous opposing crowd. Betts cut through all of it in his first at-bat, working the count full against Dylan Cease before sending a 99 mph fastball 403 feet for another first-inning homer. He followed it with a two-out, opposite-field RBI single in the second inning, setting the tone in what became an 8-0 rout. “I worked hard and finally saw one fall,” he said. “I think we’re all right now.”

THE DODGERS ARE the only franchise in the past four decades to play a postseason game with three MVPs in the same lineup, having done so in three of the past four years. Betts was joined by Albert Pujols and Cody Bellinger in 2021 and by Bellinger and Freeman in 2022. Now he hits in front of Freeman and behind Ohtani, coming off an unprecedented 50/50 season. But there has always been a sense that Betts, more so than anybody else, sets the tone.

The build-up to Game 5 has only emphasized that point. Freeman came onto the field during Thursday’s workout with athletic tape wrapped around his right shoe and took part in light running exercises. Roberts expects him to be in the lineup for Game 5 but has repeatedly acknowledged that his status can change at any moment

Ohtani homered in the second at-bat of his postseason debut and singled in his third, then went on a 1-for-10 stretch before a productive Game 4. He is 1-for-8 with three strikeouts this season against Darvish, the Game 5 starter Ohtani identified as his “childhood hero.” When Darvish exits, the Padres will confront Ohtani with one of their many lefty relievers.

If the Dodgers are to advance, Betts might have to lift them.

“We need him, and he knows that,” Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez said in Spanish. “He’s worked really hard to find that rhythm he needs, that rhythm he hadn’t found. We’re all seeing it now. We’re seeing a different Mookie now. We’re seeing the MVP.”

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Bell rings up first Cup 3-race win streak since ’21

Published

8 hours ago

March 10, 2025

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Bell rings up first Cup 3-race win streak since '21

Associated Press

Mar 9, 2025, 08:17 PM ET

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Christopher Bell became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win three straight races in the NextGen car, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin by 0.049 seconds to win the second-closest race in Phoenix Raceway history Sunday.

Bell started 11th in the 312-mile race after winning at Atlanta and Circuit of America the previous two weeks. The JGR driver took the lead out of the pits on a caution and stayed out front on two late restarts to become the first driver to win three straight races since Kyle Larson in 2021.

The second restart led to some tense moments between Bell and Hamlin — enough to make their team owner feel a bit queasy.

“I was ready to upchuck,” JGR Racing owner Joe Gibbs said.

Bell became the fourth driver in Cup Series history to win three times in the first four races — and the first since Kevin Harvick in 2018. The last Cup Series driver to win four straight races was Jimmie Johnson in 2007.

“We’ve had four races this year, put ourselves in position in all four and managed to win three, which is a pretty remarkable batting average — something that will be hard to maintain, I believe,” Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens said.

The Phoenix race was the first since Richmond last year to give teams two sets of option tires. The option red tires have much better grip, but start to fall off after about 35 laps, creating an added strategic element.

A handful of racers went to the red tires early — Joey Logano and Ryan Preece among them — and it paid off with runs to the lead before they fell back.

Bell was among those who had a set of red tires left for the final stretch and used it to his advantage, pulling away from Hamlin on a restart with 17 laps left.

Hamlin pulled alongside Bell over the final two laps after the last restart and the two bumped a couple of times before rounding into the final two turns. Bell barely stayed ahead of Hamlin, crossing the checkered flag with a wobble for his 12th career Cup Series win. He led 105 laps.

“It worked out about as opposite as I could have drawn it up in my head,” Bell said. “But the races that are contested like that, looking back, are the ones that mean the most to you.”

Said Hamlin: “I kind of had position on the 20, but I knew he was going to ship it in there. We just kind of ran out of race track there.”

Larson finished third, Josh Berry fourth and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.

Katherine Legge, who became the first woman to race on the Cup Series since Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500 seven years ago, didn’t get off to a great start and finished 30th.

Fighting a tight car, Legge got loose coming out of Turn 2 and spun her No. 78 Chevrolet, forcing her to make a pit stop. She dropped to the back of the field and had a hard time making up ground before bumping another car and spinning again on Lap 215, taking out Daniel Suarez with her.

“We made some changes to the car overnight and they were awful,” Legge said. “I was just hanging on to it.”

Logano, who started on the front row in his first race at Phoenix Raceway since capturing his third Cup Series at the track last fall, fell to the back of the field after a mistake on an early restart.

Trying to get a jump on Byron, Logano barely dipped his No. 22 Ford below the yellow line at the start/finish. NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and forced the Team Penske driver to take a pass through on pit road as the entire field passed him on the track.

“No way,” Logano said on his radio. “That’s freakin’ ridiculous.”

Logano twice surged to the lead after switching to the red tires, but started falling back on the primary tires following a restart. He finished 13th.

Preece took an early gamble by going to the red option tires and it paid off with a run from 33rd to third. The RFK Racing driver dropped back as the tires wore off, but went red again following a caution with about 90 laps left and surged into the lead.

Preece went back to the primary tires with 42 laps to go and started dropping back, finishing 15th.

The series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.

Sports

Who aced the NHL trade deadline? Eight winners and seven losers

Published

22 hours ago

March 9, 2025

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Who aced the NHL trade deadline? Eight winners and seven losers

Multiple Contributors

Mar 7, 2025, 08:20 PM ET

The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.

After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.

Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:

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NHL playoff watch: Is Jets-Hurricanes a Stanley Cup Final preview?

Published

22 hours ago

March 9, 2025

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NHL playoff watch: Is Jets-Hurricanes a Stanley Cup Final preview?

There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.

Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.

Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.

Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?

There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Saturday’s schedule
Friday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Columbus Blue Jackets
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 C algary Flames
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Sunday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m. (TNT)
Seattle Kraken at Washington Capitals, 3:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Minnesota Wild, 3:30 p.m. (TNT)
Winnipeg Jets at Carolina Hurricanes, 5 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Rangers, 6 p.m.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 8 p.m.
Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks, 9 p.m.
New York Islanders at Anaheim Ducks, 9 p.m.

Saturday’s scoreboard

Ottawa Senators 4, New York Rangers 3 (OT)
Seattle Kraken 4, Philadelphia Flyers 1
Boston Bruins 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 0
Florida Panthers 4, Buffalo Sabres 0
Colorado Avalanche 7, Toronto Maple Leafs 4
Calgary Flames 1, Montreal Canadiens 0
Nashville Predators 3, Chicago Blackhawks 2 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 2, St. Louis Blues 1 (OT)
Edmonton Oilers 5, Dallas Stars 4
New York Islanders 4, San Jose Sharks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 106.3
Next game: @ BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: @ UTA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: @ CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 91.3
Next game: vs. DET (Monday)
Playoff chances: 85.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: @ OTT (Monday)
Playoff chances: 8.3%
Tragic number: 37

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 19.8%
Tragic number: 37

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 83.3
Next game: vs. FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.5%
Tragic number: 33

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 71.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 27

Metro Division

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 117.1
Next game: vs. SEA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: vs. WPG (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 92.3
Next game: @ PHI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 86.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 20
Points pace: 89.9
Next game: @ NYR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 27.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 88.5
Next game: vs. CBJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 31.1%
Tragic number: 39

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 86.0
Next game: @ LA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 29.7%
Tragic number: 38

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 79.4
Next game: vs. NJ (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 9.5%
Tragic number: 31

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73.1
Next game: @ MIN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 25

Central Division

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 18
Points pace: 117.9
Next game: @ CAR (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 109.3
Next game: @ VAN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 99.9
Next game: vs. CHI (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 98.9
Next game: vs. PIT (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 94.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 87.1
Next game: @ PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 37.2%
Tragic number: 34

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 85.9
Next game: vs. TOR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 26.4%
Tragic number: 35

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 19
Points pace: 71.6
Next game: @ SJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 24

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 62.8
Next game: @ COL (Monday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 16

Pacific Division

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 20
Points pace: 108.5
Next game: vs. LA (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 101.5
Next game: @ BUF (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 21
Points pace: 98.1
Next game: @ VGK (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 84.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 19
Points pace: 91.1
Next game: vs. VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 27.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 91.3
Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 30.9%
Tragic number: 40

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 80.7
Next game: vs. NYI (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 32

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 74.3
Next game: @ WSH (Sunday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 25

Points: 43
Regulation wins: 12
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 8

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.

Points: 43
Regulation wins: 12

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 55
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 16

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 61
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 17

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 22