Will Smith hit a two-run homer that tied the game, and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored three more runs in the seventh inning to defeat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday night, securing the NL West title.
The excitement was tempered by an injury to All-Star player Freddie Freeman, who left the game after colliding awkwardly with Luis Arráez and the first base bag while trying to avoid being tagged out. Freeman grabbed his lower right leg and limped off the field.
The Dodgers (95-64) had not clinched the title at home since the 2020 season, which was shortened due to the pandemic and featured cardboard cutouts instead of fans. The last time they celebrated a clinch at home with fans present was in 2018.
“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They fought and fought and fought and overcame adversity.”
A packed crowd of 52,433, including retired Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, filled Dodger Stadium for the final game of a key series between the top teams in the NL West. Both teams had already secured spots in the playoffs.
“Doing it in front of the home fans, beating those guys, winning a series, it’s pretty sweet,” Roberts said.
The Padres were ahead 2-0, with Joe Musgrove pitching six scoreless innings.
However, the Dodgers broke through in the seventh. Musgrove walked Max Muncy to start the inning. Smith then hit a 426-foot home run to center field, flipping his bat as he tied the game at 2-2. This was the Dodgers’ first home run of the three-game series.
Pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández singled and moved to second when Andy Pages reached base due to catcher interference by Kyle Higashioka. Shohei Ohtani then singled, bringing Hernández home, and Ohtani advanced to second on a throwing error by Fernando Tatis Jr.
Pages and Ohtani scored on Mookie Betts’ single, making the score 5-2.
“I’m really happy,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Today I came to the stadium really wanting to clinch.”
