Betts drives – Mookie Betts kept his June surge rolling with a run-driving double-play finish and two RBIs in the Dodgers’ 4–2 win over the Padres at Petco Park, sealing a series victory and pushing him into a season-high five-game hitting streak.
SAN DIEGO — The fifth inning swung fast, and Mookie Betts made sure it didn’t swing back.
In a 4–2 Dodgers win over the Padres on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. Betts drove in a pair of runs in the three-run frame that keyed the result and sealed the series victory. The star shortstop also left his fingerprint on the ending. turning the game-ending double play by hustling to step on second base for one out before throwing to first for the other.
Betts is now riding a season-high five straight games where he’s hit safely. In the latest run, he went 2-for-4, but he wasn’t chasing the moment so much as trying to hold onto the rhythm that’s returned to his at-bats.
“It feels normal. Like I can go be a ballplayer again, my abilities show, I can change my approach during at-bats,” Betts said. “I’m not so upset about outs because I feel like I’m going about it the right way.”
The Dodgers’ lead was 2–1 when the inning opened up. Freddie Freeman drew a nine-pitch bases-loaded walk to push the advantage forward in the fifth. and Betts followed with the damage. He got ahead 2–1 against Padres starter Michael King before driving a sinker over the heart of the plate into left-center for two runs. the kind of hit that turns a lead into something harder to erase.
Freeman pointed to the complete package—especially defense—as the latest stretch has gathered steam. “We’ve seen that before,” Freeman said. “But yeah, he’s been playing great defense since he took over shortstop. Starting to hit now. So things are looking good for us.”
Betts’ double-play finish landed in a familiar spot in Dodgers lore. It carried the same feel as the play he made to end last year’s World Series in Game 7.
This surge matters because it followed a rough beginning that Betts still carries with him. His 2026 season started slowly after a right oblique strain cost him time early. He was out for a month. and when he returned it was difficult to build on progress he had made with his swing during the offseason and Spring Training.
Through his first 35 games, Betts scuffled, posting a .591 OPS—his worst mark through that span in his career. Then, in early June, the ground shifted.
Betts broke out with a three-hit game on June 13. The next day, his average rose above .200 for the first time since March 27. From there, he kept building, slashing .368/.410/.684 in 14 games since.
Last season had looked similar at first—improvement that arrived late. Betts once said that by then it was too late to fully turn his season around. This year, he hasn’t let the earlier struggles weigh as heavily on him, and the change is more mental than magical.
Manager Dave Roberts said he sees a version of Betts who’s learned from last year without repeating it. “There’s a lot more season left than where he was last year. where he kind of wrote it off to play for the team. ” Roberts said. “And I think right now. he’s in a much better place than he was even last year — mentally. with the swing. all of it. So he’s in a good spot. I see no reason why we can’t keep this going.”.
For Betts, the most striking part is that the fix doesn’t feel like a single switch. He hasn’t been able to point to one thing that suddenly worked; instead, he’s talked about the process behind his swing—getting back to basics and seeing benefits from that work.
It’s not that he’s trying to become someone else, either. He described focusing on who he is now, not forcing yesterday’s tools to fit today. “I really had to focus on who I am today. and trying to fix that person instead of trying to use the 27-year-old guy to apply to the 33-year-old guy. Just doesn’t work,” Betts said. “The game’s not the same, and I’m not the same. So I really had to learn who I was and be the best version of who I am today.”.
Back at Petco with the series on the line, Betts didn’t just contribute. He added runs, he made the defense matter, and he helped close the door the way contenders do—quickly, decisively, and with his hands and his hustle doing the talking.
Mookie Betts Dodgers Padres Petco Park series victory Freddie Freeman Michael King double play June surge