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The Los Angeles Dodgers lived to see another day, and Mookie Betts delivered the biggest blow.
Betts, who has struggled mightily in this postseason, slid down the lineup for the second time since the World Series began but didn’t let it affect him, coming through with a two-run single in the third inning to turn a one-run lead into a three-run advantage for the Dodgers.
MOOKIE BETTS, CLEANUP HITTER! #WORLDSERIES pic.twitter.com/lnaVl6cF4F
— MLB (@MLB) November 1, 2025While L.A.'s offense struggled the rest of the way, that hit turned out to be the difference in the end. The Dodgers held on to win 3-1 and force a decisive Game 7.
Here's a closer look at Betts' slump and how he broke out of it on Friday night.
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How bad was Mookie Betts’ slump?
Betts started the postseason hot, notching seven hits in the Dodgers’ Wild Card Series win over the Cincinnati Reds, but he has been in a fog since.
The former MVP entered Friday batting just .164, without a home run since the start of the NLDS, carrying a .476 OPS and a dismal .218 slugging percentage over that span.
In the World Series, Betts was just 3-for-23 over the first five games. Manager Dave Roberts moved him down to third in the batting order in Game 5 and to fourth in Game 6, sliding up Will Smith and Freddie Freeman.
While it didn’t click in Game 5, it did in Game 6. Betts’ third-inning single turned the Dodgers’ lead into a fairly comfortable one, and it held the rest of the way, even as the Blue Jays gave themselves some opportunities.
MORE: How many World Series have the Dodgers won?
When was the last time Mookie Betts batted fourth?
Friday was Betts' first time batting cleanup since Game 4 of the 2017 ALDS when he was still with the Boston Red Sox, taking on the Houston Astros. Betts earned AL MVP honors a year later, and it simply never made sense for the Red Sox or Dodgers to put him any lower than third in the batting order until his October struggles this season.
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) October 31, 2025Mookie Betts 2025 playoff stats
| Games | AVG | HR | RBI | OPS | Hits | Walks |
| 16 | .239 | 0 | 8 | .657 | 16 | 8 |
Betts is now hitting .239 with a .657 OPS through 16 postseason games. Seven of Betts' 16 hits came in the Dodgers' two-game sweep of the Reds in the Wild Card Series, so he has been even less productive most of the way than his overall numbers indicate.
With the Dodgers' pitching staff performing so well, though, Betts is still one win away from a fourth championship.
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What is Mookie Betts’ real name?
Betts was born as Markus Lynn Betts, but he took on the nickname, "Mookie," because of former NBA guard Mookie Blaylock.
Betts was named after his father, Mark, but his grandmother suggested a slight change to "Markus," he told ESPN in 2014.
Mookie Betts contract details
Betts is in the fifth year of a 12-year, $365 million contract extension he signed ahead of the 2020 season.
The COVID-19 pandemic gave the Dodgers extra time to work out a new deal with Betts after acquiring him from the Red Sox in February 2020. Now 33, Betts is under contract through the 2032 season, as his deal didn’t kick in until 2021.
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