Mookie Betts on Thursday night hit three home runs for the sixth time in his career. Now nobody has done it more often.
Betts launched half of the season-high six long balls socked by the Los Angeles Dodgers during an 11-2 rout of the San Diego Padres.
His sixth three-homer game matched the major league mark shared by Sammy Sosa and Hall of Famer Johnny Mize.
Photo: AP
Betts accomplished the feat in 813 career games. Sosa needed 2,364, and Mize did it in 1,884.
“I just think it’s pretty cool, but it’s not as important as the rings,” Betts said.
The four-time All-Star went 4 for 4 with five RBIs and was hit by a pitch in the leadoff spot, where manager Dave Roberts has been reluctant to lock him in.
With Corey Seager back in the lineup after injury, Roberts turned to Betts at the top.
“I’ve been doing it my whole life so I think I’m just comfortable there,” Betts said. “It’s just one of those things where you only lead off once, but I enjoy getting things started and creating havoc on the basepaths.”
Betts last month signed one of the richest contracts in baseball history, agreeing to a US$365 million, 12-year deal on the eve of opening day, and has mostly batted second in this pandemic-shortened season.
The 2018 American League MVP said that when he was acquired from Boston in a blockbuster trade last offseason that he thought he would be hitting leadoff with his new team.
“I’m definitely here to do whatever is best for the team,” said Betts, who talked to Roberts again about the leadoff spot. “I think he’s just trying to find a comfort in the lineup in general.”
Roberts knew the kind of special player the Dodgers landed in Betts, although the 5-foot-9 right fielder has surprised him in one way.
“I know he hits homers,” the manager said, “but it’s more power than I expected.”
With a chance to tie the big league record of four home runs in one game, Betts reached on an infield single in the seventh.
When Betts wasn’t chasing down balls in the outfield or rocketing them into the empty stands, he was on the bench talking hitting with his teammates.
“He’s just very unselfish,” Roberts said.
The National League’s top two home run-hitting teams split the four-game series, with the Dodgers outscoring the Padres 17-2 over the last two.
Julio Urias (2-0) gave up consecutive two-out solo homers to Tommy Pham and Eric Hosmer in the first after the Padres failed to homer for the first time in nine games during a 6-0 loss on Wednesday night.
The Dodgers answered right back in the bottom of the inning to tie it 2-all. Betts was hit by a pitch and scored on Seager’s two-run shot to right on an 0-2 pitch from Paddack (2-2).
Seager returned after missing five games because of lower back discomfort. AJ Pollock added a go-ahead solo homer with two outs.
Los Angeles scored in each of the first five innings. Betts connected on a two-run shot to left field with two outs in the second for a 5-2 lead.
Pollock’s RBI double made it 6-2 in the third.
Austin Barnes and Betts went deep back-to-back in the fourth, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 9-2. Barnes’ two-run shot landed in the left-field pavilion and Betts followed with a solo shot to the same area.
Betts wasn’t finished. He smashed a two-run homer in the fifth for an 11-2 lead.
“He’s impressive,” Seager said.
In other games on Thursday, it was:
‧ Cubs 4, Brewers 2
‧ Rays 17, Red Sox 8
‧ Mets 8, Nationals 2
‧ Pirates 9, Reds 6
‧ Orioles 11, Phillies 4
Additional reporting by Reuters
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