The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a hard-fought 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Division Series after Mookie Betts and Max Muncy pulled off a wheel play to get an important out at third base.
It occurred when Bryson Stott attempted to bunt Nick Castellanos over after his two-run double that pulled the Phillies within a run. With Muncy playing in, he quickly fielded the ball and fired it over to Betts who was covering third base.
Betts disguised the play and broke for the bag late, but still got there in time to apply the tag on Castellanos. Betts, who is still relatively new to playing shortstop, then had the awareness to get up quickly after Castellanos slid into him and prevent Stott from advancing to second base.
“Yeah, I mean, I feel pretty good about it,” Betts said of his confidence at shortstop and executing the wheel play. “I ran that play before. That play, it’s not like it’s a special play or anything. That’s been around for forever.
“We just decided to run it in a big spot, and we did a good job with it. But, I mean, I think the group of guys, we just believe in each other. We trust each other and it’s real easy to communicate.
“It’s really easy to know and believe that your brother’s going to do the right thing. So if you’re in the right spot, he’s going to put you in the best spot to succeed. So I think that’s just kind of what’s been shown out there.”
The successful wheel play ended up being pivotal to the Dodgers holding on for a second consecutive win at Citizens Bank Park.
Harrison Bader immediately followed with a pinch-hit single, which would have tied the game if not for recording the out at third base. Alex Vesia then got Max Kepler to ground out before Roki Sasaki retired Trea Turner to end the game.
The wheel play became a significant talking point and drew plenty of reaction from other players around MLB.
“Never,” Betts answered when asked if he has ever been part of a play that garnered so much attention. “Especially for such — I think it’s such a basic play.
“There’s only, like, two or three ways, and that’s one of them. It would be like the Lakers — they won the NBA championship running the 2-3 zone. That’s how I view it.
“It’s just we ran it in a big spot and we were able to do it right. I think we executed it really perfectly myself. Just the timing of it, I think.”
Mookie Betts highlights Freddie Freeman
Betts continued to downplay the wheel play and called Freddie Freeman’s game-winning scoop at first base more difficult.
“Freddie’s play was way harder than the wheel play,” Betts explained. “That was a tough situation. But, I mean, like I said, you get a group of guys together and you just figure out ways to win.
“It’s not always going to look pretty, but you just figure it out. Sometimes you’ve got to go rogue. Sometimes you’ve got to do things that aren’t normal.
“But that’s just the beauty of the knowledge that we have on this team, the talent we have on the team and the love for each other.”
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