Dodgers edge Padres to seal three-game sweep

Mookie Betts' eighth-inning homer decides a 5-4 win, completing a Dodgers sweep that reshapes the NL West standings.

Dodgers edge Padres to seal three-game sweep

Los Angeles beat San Diego 5-4 at Dodger Stadium to complete the sweep and move into first place in the NL West. The Dodgers jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, with Freddy Freeman and Andy Pages homering as the rotation held firm. San Diego battled back but could not finish the comeback.

The Padres tied the game in the eighth on Laureano’s double and a groundout by Iglesias that scored Bogaerts, yet Mookie Betts answered with a leadoff homer off Robert Suarez in the bottom half to restore the Dodgers’ edge. San Diego finished 3-for-20 in the series with runners in scoring position and left too many men on base, a recurring theme in a weekend that began with the Padres holding a division advantage.

Padres now trail by two games and head home for a four-game set with the Giants before a three-game series with the Dodgers. With 31 games remaining in the regular season, the race in the NL West remains open as both teams push toward the finish.

The Dodgers seized control with early power and steady defense, showing they can seize momentum in tight games and finish strong. Betts supplied the closing punch, but Freeman and Pages aided the early surge, signaling Los Angeles can beat you with a fast start or a late swing. The Padres, meanwhile, have fought hard, yet the series highlighted a pattern: missed chances with runners in scoring position and a reliance on big innings rather than sustained rallies. That dynamic could shape the Padres’ approach in a stretch run that tests their depth and patience as a team.

Looking ahead, the NL West will hinge on how well both clubs balance pressure and opportunity. The Padres must translate competitive games into multiple wins, especially against a rival they now trail. For the Dodgers, the sweep offers confidence that they can bend a close game toward their favor when the stakes rise. The next meetings will reveal whether this weekend’s mood swing was an aberration or a turning point in a season-long duel.

Highlights

The NL West race remains unsettled as the season stretches on.