Dodgers’ Mookie Betts salutes LeBron James after two homers

LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts homered twice to take the lead Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins in the second game on Saturday night to achieve a double.

Betts had a two-run single to cap a three-run eighth inning as the Dodgers also won the first game 3-1.

After his solo home run in the third inning of the night game, Betts saluted lakers star Lebron James, who was sitting in a suite with his family on his bobblehead night. Hitting his 34th home run of the season in the fifth set, Betts also greeted James as he crossed home plate, and the NBA star tipped his cap.

“It was kind of a thank you and a salute to him,” Betts said. “He did it during his game, so I returned the favor.”

James replied on social media: “Hello and (hat emoji) off to you my brother!!!”

Betts said they met and talked a few times and the greeting was spontaneous.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there was something more to it.

“I think that was intentional,” Roberts said of the salute. “Batting a baseball is as hard as anything. I just think Mookie was able to show off a different gear tonight. We were all beneficiaries. It was fun watching him and LeBron. Two great ones.”

Betts has five multihomers this season and 28 in his career.

The NL West leaders Dodgers recovered well from an 11-3 loss on Friday night that ended an 11-game winning streak. They got back on track with two wins and improved to 17-2 in August.

Julio Urias (11-6) only allowed one run – a solo home run Josh Bell in the first inning — and five hits in seven innings, including five strikeouts.

“He was great,” Roberts said of Uriah. “The energy tonight,” he replied. The City Connect jerseys. LeBron in the house. The audience was really energetic and he just drank from it. Tonight was the Mookie and Julio show.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.