Betts' blast delivers broom at the top

Late homer breaks tie, seals sweep of Padres

- BY JACK HARRIS

CARLIN STIEHL Los Angeles Times DODGERS shortstop Mookie Betts goes into his home-run trot after hitting a clutch bomb off Padres closer Robert Suarez that broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending Dodger Stadium into a frenzy. The Dodgers now hold a two-game lead in the NL West.

For so much of this year, the Dodgers have been picking Mookie Betts up amid a career-worst season at the plate.

On Sunday afternoon, with a rivalry game and division lead hanging in the balance, he returned the favor with his biggest swing in ages.

After once leading by four, then watching the Padres claw all the way back to tie the score, the Dodgers completed a weekend series sweep on Betts’ go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth — his no-doubt, 394-foot, stadium-shaking blast sending the Dodgers to a 5-4 win and two-game lead in the National League West.

As Betts came to the plate in the eighth inning, Dodger Stadium was silent and tense.

In the first inning, the team had ambushed Padres starter Yu Darvish for four runs on long balls from Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages.

From there, a crowd of 49,189 watched the Padres slowly storm back.

Tyler Glasnow fizzled after two electric opening innings, leaving the game at the end of the fifth after giving up two runs.