Mired in an 0-for-22 playoff slump spanning multiple seasons, Dodgers star Mookie Betts leaned on the wisdom of an old friend to find his footing.
When Betts was “really down,” a call from David Ortiz provided solace and shifted his outlook.
“He called me and gave me words of encouragement, and told me everything was going to be cool,” Betts said Friday on FOX’s postgame show. “Just go smile. Go smile. It worked.”
Betts responded with a home run in Game 3, then another in Game 4, to help the Dodgers ultimately beat the Padres in five games in the National League Division Series.