LOS ANGELES — When Mookie Betts sent a hanging slider from Max Scherzer into the left field pavilion Friday night, it was his first home run since July 5, part of a 6-for-10 surge for him personally and a key moment in a victory for the Dodgers.

But that’s not what he thought about in the moments after the hit. He thought about his stepfather, who died last month.

“Every home run I’ve ever hit he’s always texted me, ‘Home run Mookie time!’” Betts said Saturday. “That’s just what he says and then it has the number of homers after. Not getting that text was sad.

“I was thinking about it after hitting the home run. I’d always know. It was like clockwork. I’d look after the game and it would say ‘Text sent at 8:12’ or whenever I hit the home run. It’s a situation that kind of sucks. It’s

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