Mookie Betts Gets Honest About Dodgers' Rough Stretch of Baseball

Gabe Smallson | Apr 14, 2025

Apr 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) looks on before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers started their season with eight straight wins, but have followed it up with a 3-6 record.

There is no question that this stretch is far from the brand of baseball the defending champions are used to displaying, but after two losses in a row to the Chicago Cubs — the first of which resulted in the worst home loss in franchise history at 16-0 — superstar Mookie Betts spoke on how he believes his team will overcome the early hurdle.

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“I think it’s just a bumpy two weeks,” Betts said. “We’ve got a long time. We’ve got a long season to go. A lot can happen. This isn’t the first time we’ve sucked for two weeks. It just happens that it’s right now."

Last April the Dodgers also suffered an abysmal month as they went 15-11 after a 4-2 start. It certainly isn't as jarring as a 3-6 slump after an undefeated beginning to the season, but early rust is nothing new for the team.

“If we panic, things get worse. If you don’t panic, it looks like we don’t care. So what are we supposed to do?” said Betts.

The predicament of not just being at the top of the baseball world, but now having championship-level expectations, comes with a new level of scrutiny.

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“It’s early right now,” Betts said. “It’s not like we’re not trying. We’re trying to get the job done. We’re just not. We just got to turn the page.”

A frustrating stretch is something that all past champions have had to battle through, but with such a long season, it just comes with the crown. The way that the Dodgers react to these hardships will help define their season.

There's a reason that baseball hasn't had a back-to-back champion in over a quarter-century. The length of the season and the surplus of talent in recent years has made MLB as competitive as ever.

If the Dodgers want to once again celebrate in October, the work has to be shown in April.

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