Dodgers sweep Padres with help of Mookie Betts, Alex Vesia - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Alex Vesia made his 58th appearance in Sunday's eighth inning, retired the two batters he faced, then walked into the dugout and delivered a message to Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

«If we're up in the ninth,» Vesia recalled saying, «I want it.»

Vesia had been relied upon heavily all season, but a sweep against the San Diego Padres — the team that shockingly pulled ahead in the division earlier this week — was in play. The top of the lineup was due up, the bullpen was shorthanded, and so Vesia wanted the ball again. Roberts, who had already burned through all of his available high-leverage relievers, responded affirmatively.

«You got it,» he said.

Three pitches later, Mookie Betts delivered a tiebreaking home run, paving the way for Vesia to quickly retire the side and seal a 5-4, sweep-clinching victory from Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers held a nine-game lead in the National League West as recently as July 9, then went 12-22 over a six-week stretch and approached this highly-anticipated weekend series trailing the Padres by a game. It might end up being the best thing to happen to them.

«It was the first time we'd seen ourselves down,» Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages said in Spanish, his team up two in the division and set to play the last-place Colorado Rockies over the next four days. «I think we told ourselves, 'That's not where we should be.' That's what helped push us forward.»

Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow combined to allow just three runs in 17 innings in their three starts against the Padres, but the contributions from some of those who had been struggling were just as important.

Teoscar Hernandez, who began this series with a .287 on-base percentage, homered in each of the