Mookie Betts would not be fooled again.
In a play that was almost a carbon copy of the one that sparked the Game 2 drama between the Dodgers and Padres, Betts hit a deep fly ball just over the left field wall in his first at-bat Tuesday night. evening.
But there was a significant difference. Jurickson Profar failed to make the catch this time.
With one out in the top of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday, Betts flied out to Padres starter Michael King. Profar chased him into left field and played the ball over the short wall near the foul pole at Petco Park.
But it didn’t occur to him. The ball bounced off his glove and into the stands for a solo home run.
From his vantage point on the base paths, Betts wasn’t so sure. And Profar had already burned it before. He apparently thought Profar caught the ball and veered off the path between first and second base across the diamond toward the Dodgers dugout.
Only when the umpires called a home run and third base coach Dino Ebel signaled for Betts to continue rounding the bases did Betts resume his jog. Here’s another angle showing Betts almost reaching the pitcher’s mound before turning around to finish his home run trot.
And yes, that’s a legal trot. Since no defender was making a play against Betts, he was not required to remain on the bases for his home run to be legal.
For comparison, here’s Betts’ home run from Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.
Like his home run on Tuesday, his fly ball on Sunday night went over a short wall near the left field foul pole. Also like Tuesday, Profar went over the wall to make a play.
But on Sunday, Profar managed to catch him. He took a moment to revel in the catch and mock Dodger fans in the stands before revealing that he had secured the out and robbed Betts of a home run. Betts was in full celebration before Profar’s big reveal.
Hence Betts’ hesitation and low-key celebration on Tuesday.
The blow was big in more ways than one for Betts. It also snapped an 0-for-22 playoff streak for the former MVP, who was 0-for-6 this postseason before Tuesday’s home run.
