After a seven-run ninth inning on Sunday night, Mookie Betts drove in two runs with one out to help the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Atlanta Braves 9-2.
With 13 games left, the Braves and the Mets are tied for the third wild-card place in the National League as a result of this loss.
With two games remaining, the Dodgers have a lead over the Brewers for the No. 2 spot in the National League and a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the N.L. West, they lead the Padres by four games.
“I don’t want to say it was the biggest win of the year, but it felt big considering what we’ve been going through,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated. Prior to Sunday, his club had lost six of its previous nine games.
With a run scored, an RBI, and two doubles, Shohei Ohtani finished 2 for 4. He attempted to have MLB’s first 50-50 season, but he was unable to steal a base or hit a home run. At the moment, he has 48 stolen bases and 47 home runs.
The ninth-inning rally started against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias (5-2), with straight home runs hit by Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, and Max Muncy. Despite allowing the first five runs of the inning, all with two outs, Iglesias had not given up an earned run in 35 1/3 innings prior to this game.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the ninth and a runner on base, the Braves elected to intentionally walk Ohtani in order to put the game in Betts’ hands.
“I wouldn’t pitch to him, either,” Betts declared. Thankfully, I managed to pull through.
Roberts stated that he would most likely walk two players to take on Betts. He stated, “One plays in New York,” alluding to Aaron Judge. “The other is located in our clubhouse,”
Before the home runs, Freddie Freeman added a two-run single off of Betts’ game-winning hit.
After forcing Travis d’Arnaud to fly out of the park and striking out Orlando Arcia and Jarred Kelenic in the eighth inning, Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech (6-8) earned the victory.