Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts had some words of advice for a handful of struggling Philadelphia Phillies hitters ahead of Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Phillies are down 0-2 after losing two consecutive home games. The starting pitching for Philly has been strong, but the offense at the top has been poor.
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Their three best hitters on the roster — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber — are a combined 2-for-21 in the series thus far, with one RBI among them, though they do have four total walks.
Overall, the trio is not getting it done at the plate, while the middle of the lineup is creating all of the runs thus far.
Heading into Wednesday’s Game 3 elimination game, the Phillies’ top of the order needs to get going.
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Betts, who went through one of the worst patches of his career this season, is hitting the ball better than ever, hitting .389/.421/.556 with three doubles and three RBIs in the playoffs through four total games.
The veteran was asked about the Phillies stars’ hitting issues and offered some compassion regarding their current situation.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s tough. It’s tough. Like you said, I’ve been there. I remember feeling like, no matter what, no matter how bad you want to say it’s a team thing at this point, we’ve all got to band together, like, where you are and what you mean to the team never really goes away,” Betts told the media.
“We’re the Dodgers because me and Freddie, we’re doing our thing. That’s what made us tough. When you get in that rut and it seems like it’s quicksand. No matter what you do you just can’t get out of it.
“It’s tough. Hell, I didn’t get out of it. So I have no advice or anything. I mean, shoot, I would have if I knew what to do. Good luck to those guys and we’ll see if they have the answer.”
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The Dodgers are rolling out Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Game 3, one of the best pitchers in the National League. However, his right-handed pitching could provide Turner, Harper, and Schwarber with an advantage to ignite their bats.
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