J.D. Martinez knows a thing or two about hitting home runs.
The veteran slugger currently is tied for the Major League Baseball lead in home runs alongside Boston Red Sox teammate Mookie Betts. So when Betts found himself in a bit of a round-tripper dry spell, he knew just who to turn to.
Betts went 12 games without hitting a long ball from May 5 to May 12. Nervous that he might have lost his power swing, Betts turned to Martinez, who put the star outfielder at ease while also providing a bit of impressive foreshadowing.
“He was just all freaking out,” J.D. Martinez told MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “He’s like, ‘Dude, I’ve got no pop anymore.’ I’m like, ‘Bro, relax. All right? They come in bunches.’ All of a sudden you won’t hit one in two or three weeks and then you hit three or four in a week. Especially him. He’ll come around and hit three in a game.”
Martinez was right. Betts went deep in both Friday’s and Saturday’s games against the Baltimore Orioles and nearly extended the home run streak to three Sunday when he hit the top of the wall in the series finale against the O’s.
So yeah, Betts’ home run swing hasn’t gone anywhere.
