In the bottom of the eighth inning, a go-ahead home run helped the Dodgers defend their division lead, with Betts smiling wryly: "I've finally contributed."

On the 18th, the Dodgers swept their division rivals, the Padres, with a score of 5-4, with Mookie Betts being the key player who hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth. After the game, he sighed with relief, noting that his offensive performance had not been good all season, and he was finally able to help the team.

Today, the Dodgers and Padres concluded their three-game series, with the defending champions scoring four runs in the first inning thanks to two home runs against starting pitcher Yu Darvish. However, by the end of the seventh inning, not only had they failed to score again, but they also lost their lead, with the Padres tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Betts was the first batter for the Dodgers. Having not recorded a hit in his first eight at-bats of the series, he faced Padres closer Robert Suarez and, at this crucial moment, hit a significant home run, giving the team the lead. Ultimately, this run secured the victory for the Dodgers. Despite losing their position atop the NL West last week, the Dodgers regained a two-game lead after sweeping the Padres today.

After the game, Betts admitted he was happy to contribute to the team, saying, "Finally, I can do something for my teammates. Throughout the season, I felt I performed well defensively, but my hitting really didn’t help the team. It feels great to be able to assist in this game."

"I finally feel like I can do something for the team," Betts expressed after previously experiencing a significant slump. His batting average in July was only .205, and he continued to struggle in August, going hitless in six at-bats in the first two games against the Padres until today when he hit a home run, marking his first hit of the series, which also helped the team win.

Regarding reclaiming the top spot in the NL West, Betts commented, "This series was especially important; it’s fantastic to play Dodgers baseball back at home."