This time, Mookie Betts didn’t make a hard left turn between first and second base and started jogging toward the third base dugout at Petco Park.

One night after the Dodgers right fielder thought he had been robbed of another San Diego Padres home run, left fielder Jurickson Profar, a misunderstanding that resulted in an awkward trot with a U-turn from the back of the mound to second base , Betts took a more traditional route around the bases in the first inning Wednesday night.

That’s because there was little doubt that his 400-foot shot off Padres starter Dylan Cease would clear the center-field fence, with the home run setting the tone for an 8-0 National League Division Series Game 4 victory over the Padres who made the best-of equal. -five series of two games each and set up a winner-take-all Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Friday evening.

“When you go out on the road, you can’t just post a homer or a lopsided number in the first inning — hitting is still tough,” Roberts said. “But being able to strike first, get to Cease early and get to their bullpen definitely gave us momentum. And it started there with Mookie.

It didn’t end there for Betts, who followed Shohei Ohtani’s two-out RBI single in the top of the second by hitting reliever Bryan Hoeing’s first pitch into right field for a clutch RBI single and a 3-0 Dodgers lead.

It was the second straight game in which Betts had a home run and a single in his first two at-bats, although his two-hit effort resulted in a 6-5 Game 3 loss on Tuesday night. Will Smith also hit a gamebreaking two-run homer in the third inning, and Gavin Lux hit a tack-on two-run shot in the seventh.

“Mookie has been great,” Roberts said. “Obviously we have a lot of good players, but it’s clearly not just one player, and today Mookie shined. (Tuesday) evening Mookie was beaming. And Will had a big hit.

“That’s the great thing about having good players. They don’t have to do anything more than they are capable of. They just have to do what their abilities allow. And that’s what they did tonight.”

Mookie Betts follows up his solo home run in the first inning Wednesday against the Padres.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

That was the gist of Roberts’ message to Betts during Monday’s off-day practice, after Betts went hitless in four at-bats in Sunday’s 10-2 loss of Game 2, extending a playoff slump in which he hit .068 (three for 44). ) in 12 games from Game 4 of the 2021 NL Championship Series, including 0 for 11 in last season’s NLDS loss to Arizona.

There was so much noise rattling around in Betts’ head and he felt so much negative energy from Dodgers fans and the media that he decided to disconnect from the outside world.

“I had to turn off all social media because it was all negative,” Betts said. “I had to get a positive vibe in me, and my team did that.”

Roberts emphasized to Betts on Monday that he didn’t have to be a playoff superhero, that being a Mookie was enough.

“When you look at (great) postseason performers, it’s not like they exceeded their career stats from the regular season – what they did (in the playoffs) is what they did in the regular season,” Roberts said Monday.

“But on that stage they are considered (great) postseason players. So in this case, we just expect Mookie to be the same player he was in the regular season. And that’s it.”

Those words apparently got lost amid the estimated 300 to 400 swings Betts took in the batting cage on Monday.

“I can’t even remember Doc’s message from Monday, honestly it seems so long ago,” Betts said. “I guess I just had to see one fall, man, and get a little bit of confidence. My teammates have done a fantastic job of giving me confidence.”

One teammate who is constantly in Betts’ ear is infielder Max Muncy, whose locker is next to Betts’ in the Dodgers’ home clubhouse.

“When they take Shohei out to pitch to him and he takes a big hit, I tell him, ‘Hey, you get paid $400 million too, man, you’re still one of the best players in the game.’” Muncy said. said. “Sometimes you just have to give them a reminder.”

In case Betts forgot, he’s an eight-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove Award winner and the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player who played on both sides of the ball while leading the Boston Red Sox to the World Cup. Series of 2018 led. title and the Dodgers to the 2020 World Series title.

“I know he’s struggled in the postseason, but he’s still one of the best players in baseball,” Muncy said. “He’s been an incredible postseason player in the past. He was going through a rough period. I think the most important thing for him was to get out of his head. Now that he’s had a few hits, he can go back to being Mookie Betts.”