Mookie Betts gets the best of Jurickson Profar with HR and almost copies the play that caused the Padres-Dodgers drama

Mookie Betts wasn’t going to be fooled again.

In a play that was almost a carbon copy of the play that set off the dramatic NLDS Game 2 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Betts hit a deep fly ball just over the left field wall in his first at-bat on Tuesday at Petco Park.

There was one key difference: Jurickson Profar didn’t make the catch this time.

With one out in the first inning of NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday, Betts threw the fly ball to Padres starter Michael King. Profar gave chase in left field and hit the ball over the short wall near the foul pole at Petco Park.

But he didn’t think of it. The ball bounced off his glove and into the stands, leading to a solo home run.

From his vantage point on the basepaths, Betts wasn’t so sure. And he had already been burned by Profar once. Apparently believing Profar had caught the ball, he detoured from the path between first and second base across the diamond toward the Dodgers’ dugout.

Only when the umpires confirmed a home run and third base coach Dino Ebel signaled Betts to continue rounding the bases did he resume his trot. Here’s another angle that shows Betts almost reaching the pitcher’s mound before turning to end his home run streak.

And yes, this is a legal step. Since there was no defender playing against Betts, he did not have to stay on the basepath for his home run to be legal.

For comparison, here’s Betts’ near-home game from Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

Like his home run on Tuesday, Betts’ fly ball on Sunday flew over a short wall near the foul pole in left field. Just like on Tuesday, Profar reached over the wall to make a play.

But on Sunday Profar made the catch. And he took a moment to enjoy the catch, taunting the Dodgers fans in the stands before revealing that he had secured the out and robbed Betts of a home run. Betts was in the middle of the celebrations before Profar’s big reveal.

So Betts hesitated and muted cheers on Tuesday.

For Betts, the goal was a great success in several ways. That ended an 0-for-22 playoff streak for the former MVP, who was 0-for-6 this postseason before Tuesday’s home run.

Despite Betts’ early home run, the Padres took the lead in the second inning and then held on until the end to secure a 6-5 win in Game 3. The win gives them a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Wednesday night’s Game 4, in which a win would see them advance to the NLCS for the second time in the last three seasons.