Betts' homer, Tucker's robbery highlight key 8th inning to seal Dodgers' sweep

LOS ANGELES -- It sure feels like the Dodgers have flipped a switch.

An action-packed eighth inning provided the momentum shift the Dodgers needed to cap off a three-game sweep of the Nationals with a come-from-behind 7-5 victory on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. Mookie Betts played the hero in the series finale, smacking a go-ahead three-run homer to put the finishing touches on the pivotal frame.

L.A. has won four straight on the heels of a stretch in which it lost six of eight. At last, the Dodgers feel like they are playing to their capabilities once again.

"We try not to have a switch because a switch doesn't really work that way," Betts said. "It needs to be our identity, and so I think we’d like for it to be our identity, and playing good ball all the time."

Here's a look at each key moment from the eighth inning on Sunday night:

Tucker brings one back
Entering the eighth inning, the Nationals held a one-run lead and looked to be on their way to salvaging the finale. It looked like Washington was about to pad its advantage when Harry Ford led off the frame with a drive to deep right field, only for right fielder Kyle Tucker to make a leaping snag at the wall, robbing Ford of a likely homer.

"I think it's a huge momentum-builder right there," said right-hander Bobby Miller, who was on the mound. "It's a big sigh of relief."

The conditions helped make Tucker's catch possible. The fly ball from Ford was blown in seven feet and pushed 11 feet to the right, according to Statcast. But it was nevertheless quite the effort from Tucker, whose struggles at the plate have seemed to bleed into his play in the field at times.

"That could have been the difference in the ballgame," manager Dave Roberts said, "so that was a big play."

Miller finishes strong
After spending most of the season on the injured list due to right shoulder soreness, Miller was making his 2026 debut. His primary job was to save the bullpen, as the Dodgers had several relievers unavailable to manage their workloads.

But Miller did more than that. His outing got off to a shaky start when he battled the rain and his command in the sixth inning, allowing one run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, but he finished by going six up, six down in the seventh and eighth innings.

"I think my stuff could have been a lot better," Miller said. "It's been a lot better lately, but to get out of there with one run, with how my stuff was looking out there, I'd say that's a good day."

Miller earned his first winning decision in the big leagues since Aug, 29, 2024.

"It's a very difficult road," Roberts said, "and I give him a lot of credit for continuing to fight and to be a part of this."

Betts bashes the game-winner
Had Alex Freeland or Max Muncy gotten on base to open the eighth inning, the frame could have unfolded differently. Roberts was prepared to call on Shohei Ohtani -- out of the starting lineup for the fourth straight game -- to pinch-hit for Alex Call if either reached base, but Nationals left-hander Will Dion retired them both.

Roberts liked the matchup between Call and Dion, so he kept Ohtani on the bench -- and it paid off. Call extended the inning with a base hit from the nine-hole. Fill-in leadoff hitter Tommy Edman drew a walk. Dion left a 1-0 fastball over the plate, and Betts crushed it over the left-field fence, an emphatic swing that turned the tables on the Nationals.

After another extended season-opening slump, Betts has looked much more like himself for the past month. He's slashing .307/.378/.509 since Aug. 5, and six of his 15 hits that have put the Dodgers in the lead this season have come in that span.

"I've been able to put good at-bats together, hit the ball hard consistently," Betts said. "Just try to keep on going, keep on going, and stay in the moment. That's the main thing. Don't let prior at-bats dictate what's going on right now, and don't think about the future."

After a rough July and August, the Dodgers are finding their groove in the early days of September. With their most important games of the year ahead, they may be rounding into form at just the right time.