After watching Blake Treinen struggle to put batters away in the top of the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, it was clear the Los Angeles Dodgers would need to pull a rabbit out of their blue and white caps in order to fly back to LAX with an unblemished record.Well, as it turns out, the little bit of magic came from a former MVP as, after Bryson Stott attempted to bunt Nick Castillanos from second to third in the pursuit of tying the game at 4-all, Mookie Betts and Max Muncy executed a perfect wheel play, with the third baseman shooting the ball to his short stop to get the first out for Alex Vesia.
Asked about this play after the game, skipper Dave Roberts gave props to the duo, noting that they effectively gave the Dodgers that spark they needed to secure the win.
“Yeah, it was an impromptu play that I just told Mookie, you know, he starts going to bunt. He’s a good bunter,” Roberts explained. “And so let’s just run a wheel play and Max, be aggressive, field it. And Mookie, get over there and beat Castellanos there. And those guys executed it to perfection. It was a lot tougher; they made it look a lot easier than it was. And for me, that was our only chance, really, to win that game in that moment.”
Asked about how Betts was able to put together such a great defensive effort in this his first full season as a shortstop, Roberts celebrated the former MVP’s unique athletic gifts and his ability to make plays wherever he’s lined up.
“He’s a baseball player, and it’s one of those things where you can kind of organically create a play, and certainly, it doesn’t happen with a tag play at third base. And so he disguised it and the foot speed, obviously, he’s much more fleet of foot than Castellanos,” Roberts noted.
“And to still have to field it, lead Mookie, and then on the run and still make a tag play, tough play. And he hung in there with Castellanos bearing down on him. But yeah, Mookie’s growth has been incredible.”
Do the Dodgers win Game 2 without that play? Frankly, it’s hard to say, but in the end, Betts and Muncy got things going and Roki Sasaki brought it home, with a trip back to Los Angeles now on the horizon.
Dave Roberts discusses his takeaways from tonight’s win, the decision to bring in Blake in the 9th, Mookie and Max executing the wheel play, and the momentum heading back home. pic.twitter.com/8Z1bQiSWi6
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