Then Betts rescued the Dodgers with the 394-foot shot to left-center off Robert Suarez. It was the shortstop's 13th homer of the season and just his fifth since June. Betts had 25 in 2022 and 39 in 2023.

Xander Bogaerts, who had been hit by a pitch to start the inning, was on third and Laureano on second. Iglesias drove in Bogaerts with a groundout before Fermin made the final out on a comebacker to Vesia. The lefty retired the top of the Padres’ order — Tatis, Arraez and Machado — in the ninth.

Sunday’s victory hardly made up for the fateful loss of a championship to the Houston Astros eight years ago, but it did finish off a sweep of the San Diego Padres as the Dodgers regained their grip on first place in the National League West.