LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts hit a tiebreaking solo home run leading off the eighth inning after Los Angeles blew a four-run lead and the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Sunday to increase their NL West lead to two games.
The Dodgers opened the three-game series trailing the Padres by a game but they swept their rivals, outscoring San Diego 14-6. The teams meet again starting Friday in San Diego.
Click to Gallery
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a one-run home run against San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish delivers against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run to score Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts against the San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
After walking and flying out twice, Betts went deep to left off reliever Robert Suarez (4-5) for his second homer in his last nine games, giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Suarez retired the next three batters.
Freddie Freeman hit a two-strike, three-run homer and Andy Pages added a solo shot off Padres starter Yu Darvish in the first, staking starter Tyler Glasnow to a 4-0 lead.
Swinging a bat resembling a pencil on Players' Weekend, Pages' shot came with two outs and was the sixth homer given up by Darvish — all on the road — this season.
After Alex Freeland's leadoff walk in the second, the Dodgers went down in order in the third, fourth and fifth.
San Diego center fielder Jackson Merrill left the game in the fourth.
The Padres had the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth. Gavin Sheets doubled leading off against reliever Anthony Banda and scored on Ryan O'Hearn's double. Ben Casparius replaced Banda and hit Ramón Laureano. O'Hearn reached third on Jake Cronenworth's fielder's choice before Freddy Fermin took a called third strike to end the inning. San Diego also had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position in the fifth.
Padres sluggers Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado were a combined 1 for 10 with five strikeouts. Alex 1(3-2) struck out Machado for the final out.
Padres LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 5.71 ERA) starts Monday against San Francisco. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10-8, 2.84) starts Monday at Colorado in the opener of a seven-game trip.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a one-run home run against San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish delivers against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run to score Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts against the San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
BOSTON (AP) — When Zdeno Chara signed with the Boston Bruins in 2006, the No. 3 he wore early in his career had already been retired by the Original Six franchise.
So he picked No. 33 without giving it much thought.
“Little did I know how meaningful 33 was,” Chara said on Thursday night before his number was raised to the TD Garden rafters not far from where Larry Bird's No. 33 already hangs in Celtics green.
It is the 13th number retired by the Bruins, and the latest in a collection of Hall of Fame defenseman that runs from Eddie Shore to Bobby Orr to Raymond Bourque.
“It's a huge honor,” Chara told reporters. "I can’t explain to you how honored I feel. I’m humbled about being selected to be one of the numbers being retired. Being with that history, forever."
The 2009 Norris Trophy winner and a 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Chara spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons in Boston, leading the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. His 1,680 games is the most of any NHL defenseman; at 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06m), he is the tallest player in league history, and his 108.8 mph (175.1 kmh) slap shot in the 2012 skills competition remains the NHL record.
But his teammates and other Bruins attending Thursday's ceremony said Chara's biggest contribution was signing with a team that hadn't won a playoff series in six years — “the best decision I ever made” — and turning them into champions.
“Things really changed when Zee came here as a free agent,” Bourque said. "From that point on, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.
“He’s a legend,” Bourque said. “He really deserves to be up there.”
Bourque was among the former Bruins greats in attendance, along with Orr — both of them, like Chara, Boston defensemen who finished their careers elsewhere on their way to the Hall of Fame. They arrived via gold carpet that led them past adoring fans and the statue of Orr flying through the air following his Cup-winning goal in the 1970 finals.
Other fellow retired number honorees in attendance included Cam Neely, Willie O’Ree, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly and John Bucyk. The current Bruins sat on the bench, all wearing Chara jerseys.
Five members of the 2011 roster — Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask — carried the retired number onto the ice, and teammate Andrew Ference served as emcee.
In his speech, Chara read the names of every player on the Bruins last Cup winners. Asked why, he said after: “Without championships, you are not going to be successful, you’re not going to be recognized.
"The championships, that’s what they do. They raise everyone, they extend careers for everyone,” he explained. "They create dynasties. They create stories. They create memories. They created what we’re experiencing tonight.
"It’s very simple: Once you win the championship, everything gets so much better for everyone. And the most beautiful thing about it: You create extended families with each other. It’s true. You have bonds, you have friendships that are now still forever. It’s amazing; it’s like you’re seeing your brother. You trust the person; you know everything about them. And anytime anybody needs something, you’re there for them.
“That’s what winning championships do,” he said. “Not just for a career, but for the rest of your lives, it means something very special.”
The ceremony at center ice featured a “Big Zee” ice sculpture flanking the podium and a large No. 33 behind it. Fans were asked to get in their seats two hours early, and the full TD Garden erupted in a giant shout of “Zee!” followed by an extended cheer of “Thank you, Chara!”
A highlight video featured former Bruins Brad Marchand and current coach Marco Sturm, Chara's teammate from 2006-10. Many of them spoke of the way Chara led by example.
“He wasn’t really a ‘Rah, rah!’ guy,” former Bruins forward and current team president Neely said, “but when he spoke, it was with a purpose.”
And so, when it was time to raise his No. 33 to the rafters, Chara stood by with his wife, Tatiana, while their children — Zack, Ben and Elliz — pulled the ropes.
“That’s the biggest reward for me: To see my children and my family doing it instead of me. I think I get better joy watching them doing it than the joy of me doing it because it's so much more meaningful,” he explained. "They deserve that more than me."
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara speaks during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara leads his family over to his number "33" to raise it to the rafters before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, center, waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony, as Bruins' players with their number already retired, from left, Willie O'Ree, Rick Middleton, Terrry O'Reilly, Cam Neely, emcee Andrew Ferrance and Bobby Orr look on before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's number "33" is raised to the rafters at TD Garden before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Bobby Orr applauds, left bottom, as former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
