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Alden Gonzalez
Los Angeles – Mookie Betts watched his journey navigate the fence of the left field of the Dodger Stadium on Friday evening, and the emotions spread as if he had delivered a balance sheet in October, not in March. A categorical raised finger was followed by a powerful handbrus, then a categorical jet of his helmet and a deafening roar while he was released to his marble teammates.
Betts had not only sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-5 victory compared to the Tigers of Detroit on the same day as their World Series rings were distributed. He had not simply given the Dodgers their first beginning of 4-0 since 1981. He had done it following a debilitating disease which made him lose almost 20 pounds and often made him wonder if he could bring together the energy to provide moments like this.
“It was super special,” said Betts. “I know that it seems super selfish, but more for me. I was really proud of myself to have come and to play in weight insufficiency. Not that it is a big problem of playing in weight insufficiency, but just the fight that I crossed – the ups and downs, and the nights that I cry just because I am sick, and my wife holds me.”
While the Dodgers were preparing to fly to Japan and start their season last week, Betts, who had spent the last four months to relax in the arduous task of becoming a daily stop-COURT, had trouble keeping food.
He did not play in any of the first two games of the regular season of the team against the Chicago Cubs at the Tokyo Dome and was returned early to his home. He was supposed to play at the opening of the Dodgers exhibition against the Angels of Los Angeles on Sunday that followed, but was a late scratch. Vomiting has persisted. At this stage, Betts’ weight had gone from 175 pounds to 157.
A day later, Betts started filming a corner. He played 5 and a half years in the final of the Dodgers exhibition on Tuesday, then faced live throws during the day off on Wednesday. As the house’s opening match came about 24 hours later, Betts was back to his normal self. Friday, he made his presence felt.
With a withdrawal in the sixth, Betts only recorded the second safe blow of the former Dodgers starter, Jack Flaherty, then came to mark on the equal circuit of Freddie Freeman. At the bottom of the eighth, he struck what would have been the winning home run if the tigers did not return to equalize the scoring at the top of the ninth.
In the 10th, Betts crowned a round of five points by offering runners the second and third and the scoring equally, working the account against Beau Brieske then turning a small change and sending it 376 feet.
“I just saw what has been in the past two weeks and always go there and be ready, and not to be 100% and give us everything he has, to come a lot – I can’t say enough about Mookie,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Betts is only the second player to strike several leaked circuits in the eighth round or later since the franchise moved to Los Angeles 67 years ago, according to ESPN Research. The other was Andre Ethier, who did the same on August 2, 2015 – about 4 inches more and about 50 pounds more.
“I have not lost much strength, relative for my weight,” said Betts, who has since taken up eight pounds but who would like to add eight others. “I’m always strong enough. But obviously, as you add more weight, you can add more strength. Right now, I’m having fun hitting 160 pound circuits.”
Homer de Betts has crowned an epic two -day section for a Dodgers team that has opened its season to more than 5,000 miles away and is still going out of the top of his first full season championship since 1988.
Thursday, the emblematic rapper Ice Cube led a Dodger Blue Chevy Bel-Air along the territory at fault of the Dodger Stadium with the World Series Trophy attached to the passenger seat. He then brought him to the field with the team aligned along the third line. Friday, each of the coaches and players of the Dodgers entered a makeshift scene by the mound of the launcher to receive championship rings seeing 343 diamonds and 129 sapphires.
In the midst of all the pumps and circumstances, the Dodgers 2025, considered one of the most talented teams ever reunited, continued to win. They exceeded the cubs in Japan without Betts and Freeman then returned to the United States and fakes in front of the tigers thanks largely to a pitch staff who failed 11 Baserunners. On Friday, they were late twice and continued to come back.
“We have a bit of the impression that we take over where we stopped last year,” said Max Muncy, third goal player for the Dodgers. “There is still a lot of fight in this team. There is no renunciation.”
