Mookie Betts said on October 13, 2026, that the Dodgers need Shohei Ohtani and must continue working to produce hits while remaining together after falling behind 0-2.
Betts said the Dodgers had lost the first two games of the series and described the team's approach as taking "one one game at a time, one pitch at a time" without adding pressure. He also stated, "We need him. We need him for sure," while discussing Ohtani, who he said is working through his struggles and whom the Dodgers need to emerge from them.
Betts evaluated the opposing bullpen as uniformly strong, saying, "They're all just really good." He added that there was no magic adjustment for facing it: "There's no magic to it. Just got to get hits." The Los Angeles Dodgers must get hits, according to Betts.
Betts said the Dodgers have to be ready to play despite the difficult situation and the opponent's performance, explaining that they "have to come, you know, and be ready to be ready to go." He also said "the guys in here are pretty together" and that he did not believe there was much doubt among the players.
Betts described Yoshinobu Yamamoto's playoff struggles as evidence that he is human, saying, "it just shows he's a human being." He noted that everybody was accustomed to Yamamoto being "a robot," while also claiming that Yamamoto did not complete eight innings without allowing a hit.
Betts' stated plan was to keep the Dodgers focused on one game and one pitch at a time, while the team continues seeking the hits he identified as necessary.