After discovering ‘closure’ in return to Fenway Park, Mookie Betts pummeled Pink Sox pitching

Pink Sox

“With all that town has achieved for me and everyone right here, I used to be very blessed.”

Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts waves his helmet as he receives applause from the crowd before his first at bat in the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, in Boston.
Mookie Betts as soon as once more saluted the group on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park. (AP Photograph/Steven Senne)

For all the feelings that performed into his long-awaited return to Fenway Park this weekend, Dodgers star Mookie Betts needed to make one factor clear earlier than Friday’s collection opener between the Pink Sox and Dodgers.

“We’re right here to handle enterprise,” Betts famous. “And that’s precisely the place my head is true now.”

Certain sufficient, the NL MVP frontrunner did simply that in his three video games in opposition to his former workforce. In the course of the Dodgers’ collection victory in opposition to Boston, Betts went 7-for-15 with a house run, two doubles, 4 RBI, one stroll, and 5 runs scored over three video games.

Fellow Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman additionally tortured the Pink Sox over the weekend, going 7-for-15 with three doubles, two walks, one RBI and 4 runs scored.

“These two guys, I imply, I do know we’ve performed the Braves, they’re actually good at what they do, however they dominate the sport,” Alex Cora stated of Betts and Freeman following Sunday’s 7-4 loss. “Freddie’s been locked in and Mookie is getting on base, and it’s immediate offense it looks like in two pitches. As a result of Freddie is swinging.”

Sunday’s victory for Los Angeles stood as an emphatic stamp on Betts’ first video games again at Fenway since September 2019.

The 30-year-old outfielder/infielder went 3-for-5 on the plate, taking an inside fastball from Sox reliever Chris Murphy and depositing it into the Monster seats for a two-run shot within the sixth inning.

Betts now has 35 house runs on the season, tying his single-season profession excessive in what has been one more standout marketing campaign with the Dodgers.

As was the case on each Friday and Saturday, Betts was handled with one other standing ovation upon stepping as much as house plate on Sunday, prompting him to tip his batting helmet in appreciation as soon as once more.

Along with his three-game set now within the books, Betts feels as if he lastly has some closure on his chapter with the Pink Sox, a full-circle journey made a bit simpler by the prolonged hole between his February 2020 and his eventual return in 2023.

“I believe it form of acted because it,” Betts stated postgame about discovering closure, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Tim Crowley. “Being that it was 4 years wasn’t so unhealthy. It did act as closure and I’m glad I received it.”

Although a content material Betts will not be wanting previously and is joyful in his new environment in Los Angeles, he as soon as once more expressed appreciation for his six years in Boston and the function that the workforce, fanbase and market performed in serving to him turn into one of many faces of MLB. 

“Every part was tremendous dope,” Betts stated of returning to Boston. “With all that town has achieved for me and everyone right here, I used to be very blessed. I’m blessed. I thank the followers, the entrance workplace and everyone for the chance. It’s positively formed me to who I’m immediately.”