The Los Angeles Dodgers are facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series, led by the former Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts.
Boston traded Betts along with pitcher David Price to Los Angeles in February for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong. After not finalizing a contract with Betts during the 2019 season, Boston felt like it was best to trade their young star away rather than pay him. Once his trade was finalized, Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million dollar contract extension with Los Angeles.
During his tenure in Boston, Betts won the 2018 American league Most Valuable Player Award and led the Red Sox to a World Series victory over the Dodgers.
Now in 2020 with the Dodgers, Betts isn’t slowing down and he’s proving to the Red Sox that they made a mistake in not holding on to him. In Game 1 of the World Series, Betts became only the second player ever to walk and steal multiple bases in the same inning, joining another traded Red Sox player, Babe Ruth.
“Stolen bases are a thing for me,” said Betts in a post game press conference. “That’s how I create runs. That’s how I cause a little havoc on the bases. So I take pride in stealing bases. And once I get on the basepaths, I’m just trying to touch home, and however I get there is how I get there.”
After his first stolen base, Betts won free tacos for all of America for the second time in his career as part of Taco Bell’s steal a base steal a taco campaign.
Betts’ teammate Cody Bellinger had high praise for his teammate following their Game 1 victory.
“We’re so lucky to have him on our team,” Bellinger said. “He’s a superstar guy, superstar talent but he does all the little things right. You can really learn from that when a guy’s that good and he just wants to win.”
The Dodgers went on to win Game 1 by a score of 8-3 lead behind their ace Clayton Kershaw, who pitched six innings allowing only one earned run. Los Angeles got their offensive firepower from the 2018 and 2019 MVP’s Betts and Bellinger as they both homered in the Dodgers win.
Game 2 of the World Series was a different story as the Dodgers couldn’t get anything going against Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell. Snell started the game off throwing 4 ⅔ innings with no hits until the Dodgers Chris Taylor homered giving them their first hit of the game.
Rays reliever Nick Anderson came in and held it down to weather a Dodgers rally as he went on to earn the win.
“He’s been as good as any reliever in baseball from the day that we acquired him,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “And when the game’s on the line and he’s available, we’re going to go to him.”
The Rays went on to win game two by a score of 6-4 as the World Series is now tied at one game a piece. Game 3 is Friday night at 8 p.m.on FOX.
