Mookie Betts’ clutch homer lifts Dodgers over Padres 5-4, extending NL West lead to 2 games

By: Beth Harris, The Associated Press Posted: 6:15 PM CDT Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit a tiebreaking solo home run leading off the eighth inning after Los Angeles blew a four-run lead and the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Sunday to increase their NL West lead to two games.

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The Dodgers opened the three-game series trailing the Padres by a game but they swept their rivals, outscoring San Diego 14-6. The teams meet again starting Friday in San Diego.

After walking and flying out twice, Betts went deep to left off reliever Robert Suarez (4-5) for his second homer in his last nine games, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Suarez retired the next three batters.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run to score Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts against the San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Freddie Freeman hit a two-strike, three-run homer and Andy Pages added a solo shot off Padres starter Yu Darvish in the first, staking starter Tyler Glasnow to a 4-0 lead.

Swinging a bat resembling a pencil on Players’ Weekend, Pages’ shot came with two outs and was the sixth homer given up by Darvish — all on the road — this season.

After Alex Freeland’s leadoff walk in the second, the Dodgers went down in order in the third, fourth and fifth.

San Diego center fielder Jackson Merrill left the game in the fourth.

Key moment

The Padres had the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth. Gavin Sheets doubled leading off against reliever Anthony Banda and scored on Ryan O’Hearn’s double. Ben Casparius replaced Banda and hit Ramón Laureano. O’Hearn reached third on Jake Cronenworth’s fielder’s choice before Freddy Fermin took a called third strike to end the inning. San Diego also had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the fifth.

Key stat

Padres sluggers Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado were a combined 1 for 10 with five strikeouts. Alex 1(3-2) struck out Machado for the final out.

Up next

Padres LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 5.71 ERA) starts Monday against San Francisco. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-8, 2.84) starts Monday at Colorado in the opener of a seven-game trip.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb