LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts homered twice to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins in the second game on Saturday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.
Betts had a two-run single to cap a three-run eighth inning as the Dodgers won the first game by an identical 3-1 score. After his solo home run in the third inning in the night game, Betts saluted Lakers star LeBron James, who was sitting in a suite with his family on his bobblehead night.
When he hit his 34th homer of the season in the fifth, Betts also saluted James as he crossed home plate, and the NBA star tipped his cap to him. «It was kind of a thank you and shoutout to him,» Betts said. «He's done it during his game, so I returned the favor.» Betts said they've met a couple of times and talked a few times, and the salute was spur-of-the-moment.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thought there was a bit more to it. «I think that was intentional,» Roberts said of the salute. «Hitting a baseball is as hard as anything there is to do.