Betts joins Bobby Bonds as only players with 10 pre-ASG leadoff HRs

LOS ANGELES — All-Star Mookie Betts hit his 10th leadoff homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night, tying for the most in the first half in major league history.

Betts’ 408-foot solo shot, his 26th home run of the season, came on the second pitch of the game by Angels starter Reid Detmers.

Betts equaled the mark set by San Francisco’s Bobby Bonds in 1973. Betts’ 46th leadoff homer of his career tied Philadelphia’s Jimmy Rollins for seventh all-time. It also eclipsed the Dodgers’ single-season mark of nine leadoff homers, which he shared with Joc Pederson (2019).

“Seems like every swing he’s barreling up the ball,” fellow All-Star Freddie Freeman said after the Dodgers’ 10-5 win. “Sometimes breaks can come at the wrong time, but I think Mookie found something in his swing and he’s been able to lock it in. For 30, 35 games now, it’s been that special.”

It is the ninth time in MLB history that a player has hit 10 leadoff homers in a season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Jose Altuve was the last player to do so, with 12 such homers last season. The all-time record for a season is 13, set by Alfonso Soriano in 2003.

Betts came into the game batting .277. He went 3-for-4 with two homers, a double and four RBIs in an 11-4 victory over the Angels on Friday night.

He is set to compete in the Home Run Derby on Monday as part of All-Star festivities in Seattle.

“Mookie might be the only guy that wants to play through the break,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.