What Mookie Betts had to say after postseason struggles continue in ALCS Game 1
"You can't miss that pitch."
Mookie Betts won the batting title in 2018, and he could end up as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Yet Betts is finding out that the playoffs are a very different place.
Despite starting Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against Justin Verlander and the Astros with a base hit, Betts continued what has been a relatively quiet postseason so far.
This was magnified in the fifth inning, when the 26-year-old outfielder strode to the plate with the bases loaded. Verlander was reeling from three straight walks, and he left a fastball over the middle for Betts.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Betts could only drag a ground ball to third base, resulting in a fielder’s choice, with Eduardo Nunez getting thrown out at home. Finishing the game 1-4, Betts – who led the league with a .346 average – is currently hitting .200 in the playoffs.
Afterward, Betts acknowledged that he missed his chance against Verlander.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit and I got it, just didn’t do anything with it,” Betts said. “It was one of those situations where I just didn’t get the job done.”
“Fastball middle-middle. You can’t miss that pitch. Especially against Verlander in a situation like that,” Betts concluded.
In his career, Betts is now 11-46 (.238) in the postseason, with no home runs and two RBIs.
