A game-tying run sat just 90 feet away, but unfortunately for the Dodgers, the opportunity slipped away. Trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, Shohei Ohtani stood on third with nobody out, and the hope rested on a dramatic comeback. What unfolded, though, was rather different, as Freddie Freeman struck out before Mookie Betts grounded weakly to shortstop for the second out. As a result, Ohtani was stranded, and the Dodgers were stunned by a 4-3 loss.
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Sure, that was a costly moment, and Betts didn’t shy away from openly admitting that he had blown a golden opportunity to bring the tying run home.
“It’s tough on everybody, just trying to get a ball in the air and score him,” Betts said, as per SportsNet LA on X. “It doesn’t really matter what it looks like; he just needs to touch the plate, and I didn’t do my job.”
Ohtani entered the batter’s box in the ninth inning at Truist Park, and his leadoff triple enabled the Dodgers to have a runner on third with nobody out. Freeman then stepped in and faced six pitches before striking out. Once Betts entered the box, even a sacrifice fly would have done the job. Instead, he hit a grounder off Iglesias’ 95-mph sinker.
What looked like a sure-shot game-tying run proved to be a disaster for the Dodgers. Betts finished the night 1-for-5 at the plate. Tuesday’s loss marked the club’s third loss to the Braves in 2026.
This also marked another chapter in his roller-coaster ride since last year. The Dodgers’ $365 million slugger dealt with a major stomach illness early in 2025 that caused him to drop nearly 20 pounds, throwing his delicate swing mechanics and physical strength out of sync. Then, moving into an everyday role at shortstop added heavy defensive demands while he tried to sort out his physical recovery at the plate.
Nothing really changed in 2026, as he is experiencing an uncharacteristic offensive slump during the 13th major league season of his career, batting .236 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs through 95 games. But there have been flashes of brilliance as well, and it’s especially noticeable in his performance since August 5. He is batting .297/.357/.484 with three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBIs in his last 17 games.
If anything, Tuesday’s brain-fade moment by Betts could hamper his recent surge. Teoscar Hernández is also enduring a deep offensive slump. Over an 18-game stretch in August 2026, Hernández hit just .172 (10-for-58) with zero home runs, 22 strikeouts, and only two walks. Freeman is also recovering from an offensive slump.
So, at this time, the Dodgers can’t afford Mookie Betts’ struggles with the postseason just a few weeks away.