LOS ANGELES — Will Smith hit a tying, two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored three more runs in the seventh to beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday night and clinch the NL West title.
The rally was dampened by an apparent injury to All-Star slugger Freddie Freeman, who left the game after awkwardly colliding with Luis Arráez and the first base bag trying to avoid being tagged for the second out of the inning. Freeman grabbed at his lower right leg before hobbling off the field.
The Dodgers (95-64) had not clinched at home since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when cardboard cutouts replaced fans. The last time fans were on hand for a clincher at home was 2018.
''I couldn't be more proud of these guys,'' manager Dave Roberts said. ''They fought and fought and fought and overcame adversity.''
A sellout crowd of 52,433, including retired Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, packed Dodger Stadium for the finale of the crucial series between the top teams in the NL West. Both teams had already clinched postseason berths.
''Doing it in front of the home fans, beating those guys, winning a series, it's pretty sweet,'' Roberts said.
The Padres led 2-0 as Joe Musgrove pitched six shutout innings.
But the Dodgers got to him in the seventh. Musgrove gave up a leadoff walk to Max Muncy. Smith followed with a 426-foot blast to center, flipping his bat while tying the game at 2-2. It was the Dodgers' first home run of the three-game series.
