SAN DIEGO -- Dalton Rushing took a big swing and walked slowly down the first-base line, watching intently as the ball sailed through the air. When it cleared the right-field fence, the rookie backstop flipped his bat with feeling before breaking into a trot around the bases.

With a share of the NL West lead on the line, it was arguably the biggest swing of Rushing's young career.

Rushing's go-ahead three-run blast in the seventh inning, followed by Freddie Freeman's second homer of the afternoon, helped the Dodgers avoid a sweep at the hands of the Padres with an 8-2 win on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

The two NL West rivals will not face each other again in the regular season and conclude their season series tied in the standings , although the Dodgers hold the head-to-head

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