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Mookie Betts' walk-off homer was emotional moment for Dodgers SS
The Detroit Tigers looked to be in a great spot after catcher Dillon Dingler hit a triple in the top of the 10th, scoring two runs and breaking a 3-3 tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers were three outs away from their first loss of the season. They started a rally when Tommy Edman crossed the plate thanks to a Michael Conforto ground-rule double, and then catcher Will Smith sent Conforto home with a single to left to tie the game at five.
Superstar Shohei Ohtani singled to right, putting two on the basepaths. Finally, shortstop Mookie Betts walked up to the plate.
He swung and missed twice, watched two balls and then fouled two off to stay alive. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, he saw an 89-mph changeup from Detroit reliever Beau Brieske and drove it 376 feet into left field for a game-winning home run.
That homer improved the Dodgers' record to 4-0, but on a personal level, it marked a huge moment for Betts early in the season after he struggled mightily with an illness that made it hard for him to keep food down and ultimately caused him to lose 15 pounds.
Watching the ball sail over the left field fence was a special moment for Betts, considering those struggles early this season.
"That was super special," Betts said after the game, according to Alden Gonzalez. "I know it sounds super selfish, but more for me. I was really proud of myself for coming in and playing underweight. Not that it's a big deal playing underweight, but just the fight that I've kind of been through — the ups and downs, and the nights I'm just crying because I'm sick, and my wife's there holding me. That's where the emotion comes from."
MOOKIE BETTS WALK-OFF HOMER! UNBELIEVABLE! pic.twitter.com/PpYP5FpVcd
— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2025
Betts celebrated as he ran the bases like he had just won Game 7 of the World Series, not the season's fourth game. That shows you how bad things had gotten for him as it relates to the sickness that caused him to miss the first two games of the season in the Tokyo series.
The moment wasn't lost on manager Dave Roberts.
"Just given what he's been under the last couple weeks and still to go out there and be ready, and not be 100 percent and still give us everything he has, coming up huge — I can't say enough about Mookie," he said.
The Dodgers will look to sweep the Tigers and improve to 5-0 on Saturday.
More must-reads:
- Mookie Betts overcomes mystery illness to carry Dodgers in walk-off win
- Dodgers share update on Shohei Ohtani’s return as a pitcher
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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Insider Rips Yankees for Aaron Boone Decision
The New York Yankees have had manager Aaron Boone at the helm of the club since 2018. The Pinstripes made their first World Series appearance since 2009 last year with Boone, but should they have ditched him this offseason for a different name? One big-name MLB analyst seems to think so. On a recent episode of the New York Post's podcast, "The Show", MLB insider Chris Russo ripped the Yankees for choosing to keep Boone as manager instead of pursing two-time World Series winning manager Terry Francona, who came out of retirement this season to manage the Cincinnati Reds. "These are the New York Yankees. ... I know they didn't want to hire (Bruce) Bochy because then they have to listen to front office and all that nonsense. Francona gets a job again. You are telling me Boone is a better manager than Terry Francona? Are you freaking crazy?" Russo said. "How did Francona end up with the Reds? Did the Yankees put a call in to Francona?" As it stands now, Francona's Reds are a bit behind the Yankees, with a 63-58 record just barely keeping them out of the National League wild card standings. Francona would have been an interesting get for the Yankees, as he managed the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that managed to unseat New York in the AL Championship game and go on to win Boston's first World Series since 1918. Russo went on to support Boone as a manager, but insist that the Yankees' World Series drought with Boone at the helm has gone on too long. "Listen, everybody loves Boone," he said. "He's not a bad manager, but he has been there a long time (without a) World Series win. In my opinion, there are seven managers in the sport better than Boone. And yet, here he is." This season, Boone has faced a barrage of criticism for his managerial choices, particularly pertaining to short stop Anthony Volpe and closer Devin Williams. Despite fans' insistence and both players' frequently poor performance, Boone has stood by both Volpe (who leads the league in fielding errors) and Williams (who can't seem to stop blowing saves). It's entirely possible that a Yankees lineup assembled by a different manager would have a better record. For better or for worse, though, Boone is steering the ship for now, regardless of what Yankees fans and insiders have to say about it. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Outfielders Open Up About Free Agency Potential Phillies Sign Former Yankees Pitcher Yankees See Big Changes in Latest Prospect Rankings Yankees Earn Disheartening Playoff Tier Mets Send Former Yankees Starter to Bullpen
Chop Robinson injury update: Miami Dolphins star reveals severity after being carted off field
Dolphins fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief with the latest update on the injury to pass rusher Chop Robinson. The second-year defender had to be carted off the practice field Wednesday during a joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Robinson posted an update on social media a couple of hours later to let fans know he is “good” and the injury is “nothing serious.” It sounds like he avoided anything that would cause him to miss significant time, and the carting off the field was simply a precautionary measure. As a rookie, Robinson played in all 17 games for the Dolphins, starting one. He finished with 26 tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks. He finished fifth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Robinson was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He played two seasons for the Nittany Lions after starting his career at Maryland. Over the course of his collegiate career, Robinson finished with 60 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles. Robinson had a career high 5.5 sacks in 2022. As a member of the Class of 2021, Robinson was a four-star recruit out of Gaithersburg (M.D.) Quince Orchard, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 1 overall prospect in the state, the No. 5 EDGE in the class and the No. 62 overall prospect in the class. The Dolphins have their next preseason game on Saturday against the Lions. We might not see Chop Robinson play in that contest, but it doesn’t mean the injury is a serious one and would likely only be a precautionary measure from the team as it prepares for the regular season. Tyreek Hill trade rumors Multiple NFL teams reportedly monitoring future with Dolphins In addition to Robinson, there’s been drama with the Dolphins lately. There are now rumors that Tyreek Hill could fetch some trade requests from other teams. “So his status is uncertain, with an oblique injury right now, as for when he gets back in the lineup, is still up in the air,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter. “Right now, I have talked to a few teams that are at least monitoring his future a little bit. Could he be a potential trade target? Now, I know the Dolphins earlier this summer were telling teams, no, we’re not trading Tyreek Hill, but they just, you know, wonder, is he going to be available? It could be wishful thinking. “Maybe they want him to be available, but he’s a player that when I bring up the teams and say, who’s sort of a trade target you’re watching? They bring up Tyreek Hill, so we’ll see. He’s a big option for Tua and that’d be a major move if they did move away from him.” On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to this report.
Ottawa Senators Predicted to Land Penguins Star
The NHL offseason has slowed down a bit, but there are still moves to be made from a few teams. Every year, there are late offseason moves that tend to heavily impact the playoff race. One team that could still add is the Ottawa Senators, since they still need another piece for the upcoming season. Ottawa has been linked to a few players this summer, with the front office discussing different deals. The Senators were mentioned as a possible landing spot for Pittsburgh Penguins star Rickard Rakell by NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report. Ottawa could be a solid place for Rakell if the Penguins do trade him. "The Senators finally played their way back into a playoff spot in 2024-25, earning their first trip to the postseason since their 2016-17 Eastern Conference Finals run. "The big hang-up might be Ottawa's lack of a first-round pick in 2026 and a weak farm system that is lacking in top prospects. From a hockey standpoint, the Senators are a good match for Rakell. Logistically, they may not have the assets the Penguins would want," wrote Gretz. Rakell could help boost the Senators' offense, helping the team become even more formidable in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa made a surprising playoff appearance last season, and the team should be going all-in to go after a Stanley Cup title. The Penguins star put up 35 goals and 35 assists last season for Pittsburgh, and he could massively boost this team. Nobody on the Senators came close to these totals, so this could be a real difference-maker of a trade. Ottawa is finally back to being relevant in the East, and the front office has wanted to keep adding pieces. Bringing Rakell to town could be the answer, especially with the Penguins reportedly acting as sellers this offseason.
Who Makes the Raiders Roster on the Defensive Line?
The Las Vegas Raiders' strongest unit comes on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders' defensive line is the strongest unit on this team, and they are ready to get better and get after the quarterback in 2025. This unit was good last season, but a couple of injuries occurred, and they had to overcome those. Now, going into the new season, the Raiders' defensive line is strong and has players looking to have career years. The Raiders' defensive line is going to be led by Pro Bowl Maxx Crosby and by veteran defensive tackle Adam Butler. When you have two players and guys like Butler and Crosby on your roster, you are in good hands. Butler and Crosby do so much for this team, both on and off the field. These guys are going to make sure the rest of the defensive line is ready to go this season, and they want to have the best season of their careers as well. The Raiders have one of the best defensive line coaches, if not the best one in the NFL, in Rob Leonard. Leonard has made the defensive line better each season. Leonard will now try to have a top defensive line group in the National Football League, and he has his players ready to go; they are better because of him. Our Hondo Carpenter talked about who makes the roster for the Raiders on the defensive line on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast." Raiders Defensive Line "You turn your attention to the defensive line. Maxx Crosby is in. Malcolm Koonce is in. Tyree Wilson in. Charles Snowden in. Those are your four defensive ends," said Carpenter. But where it gets interesting on the defensive line is the defensive tackles. I think your starting tackles if the season started today are Thomas Booker IV and Adam Butler. Then I got Tonka Hemingway making it, JJ Pegues making it, and then either Jonah Laulu or Zack Carter." "Laulu is a player that I really like. I think he is ahead of Carter. I have him on my 53-man roster. He did not have a good game in Seattle; he needs to correct that quickly. But I got Jonah Laulu making it over Zack Carter, but I think it is very close. It is very close." Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and talk to us in 2025 about the Raiders and more. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss all Raiders content in 2025.
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