Dodgers Complete Series Sweep Against Padres

by Jake Lax, August 18, 2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Sunday’s series finale looking to complete the three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres. This critical series began on Friday as the Padres were in first place in the NL West, with the Dodgers only one game behind. As both teams hunt for their spot in October, this three-game series could very well decide who will have to settle for a wildcard spot.

The starters on the mound for Sunday’s game were Padres Yu Darvish and Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers wasted no time putting pressure on Yu Darvish. Shohei Ohtani singled, and Mookie Betts walked to set the stage for Freddie Freeman, who crushed a two-strike, three-run homer to center, scoring Ohtani and Betts. Moments later, rookie outfielder Andy Pages added a solo shot, giving Los Angeles a 4-0 lead. The early spark from the Dodgers seemed to be all they could get out of their offense. Darvish only allowed one other baserunner on a walk following a disastrous first inning.

Padres Get Going

San Diego finally got on the board in the third. Jake Cronenworth got on with a leadoff walk, and Freddy Fermin’s single moved him into scoring position. Fernando Tatis followed with a double that scored Cronenworth, making it 4-1.

The top of the fifth led off with a Ramón Laureano solo home run, his 19th on the season to cut the lead down to 4-2. Tyler Glasnow, who started for LA, struck out seven in five innings but was forced out after 91 pitches, leaving the Dodgers’ bullpen to hold a shrinking lead.

Bullpens Battle

With Tyler Glasnow done for the day, Anthony Banda took the mound in the top of the sixth. Banda was met with immediate trouble as Gavin Sheets ripped a leadoff double, and shortly after, Ryan O’Hearn followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to one. This forced Dodger’s manager Dave Roberts to replace Banda with Ben Casparius. With Casparius on the mound, San Diego failed to tie up the game, leaving the tying runner on third to end the inning. The Dodgers’ offense continued to struggle in the middle innings, stranding runners in scoring position and leaving the game within an arm’s reach.

The Dodgers’ bullpen continued to deal as Blake Treinen came in to pitch in the seventh. Getting out of the inning despite Luis Arraez stealing two bases, getting 90 feet from tying the game.

Mookie Betts Comes Up Clutch

The eighth inning showcased both the Padres’ resilience and their mistakes. Los Angeles brought in Alexis Díaz, and he allowed a hit-by-pitch to Xander Bogaerts to lead off. This was followed by a double from Ramón Laureano, who advanced Bogaerts to third base, forcing another pitching change for the Dodgers. This time, it was Alex Vesia coming in to pitch, with the tying run on third. The veteran Jose Iglesias came in to pinch hit, and it was a success as he grounds out to shortstop, but Bogaerts scored from third to tie the game at four.

Then came the defining moment. Leading off the bottom of the eighth against reliever Robert Suarez, Mookie Betts worked the count full before sending a towering solo homer over the center-field wall. The Dodgers got the lead back just like that, and the stadium erupted. Alex Vesia would stay in for the top of the ninth and complete a 1-2-3 inning to close out the game and give the Dodgers the 5-4 win.

Who Will Win the West

Los Angeles’s offense only totaled six hits on Sunday, with three of them coming in the first inning. A game in which timely hitting seemed to pay off for LA. On the other side, San Diego’s miscues, including base-running blunders and a few untimely outs with runners in scoring position, repeatedly killed potential rallies. The superstars for San Diego were a no-show as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado combined for just one hit and five strikeouts in the finale.

The Dodgers reclaimed first place in the NL West, demonstrated resilience after a rough stretch since the All-Star break, and showed that they can capitalize on opponents’ mistakes while delivering in clutch moments. The weekend was a statement: the Dodgers outscored San Diego 14-6 while exposing the Padres’ miscues and taking control of the division race. LA starts a seven-game road trip heading to Colorado to take on the Rockies and finishes up next weekend with another three-game series against San Diego.

For the Padres, they failed to execute all series long. Missed opportunities left San Diego searching for answers before the rematch at home next weekend. They’ll play their next seven games at home with a four-game series against the Giants and then the rematch with the Dodgers. The Dodgers have had the Padres’ number all season long as they currently lead the season series 7-2, with three games left next weekend. If the Padres want any chance to win the National League West Division, it comes next weekend in a must-win series.