Dodgers 7-2 Padres (September 26, 2024) Game Recap

LOS ANGELES – Will Smith hit a tie-breaking two-run home run 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 momentum 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 while attempting to avoid being tagged out for the second out of the inning. Freeman grabbed his lower right leg before limping off the field.

The Dodgers (95-64) had not won at home since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when cardboard cutouts replaced fans. The last time fans attended a crucial home game was in 2018.

“I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They fought and fought and fought and overcame adversity.”

A sellout crowd of 52,433, including former Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, filled Dodger Stadium for the finale of the deciding series between the top two teams in the NL West. Both teams had already secured spots for the postseason.

The Padres led 2-0 as Joe Musgrove threw six shutout innings.

But the Dodgers caught him in the seventh game. Musgrove gave up a leadoff walk to Max Muncy. Smith followed with a 426-foot shot up the middle, tying the game at 2-2. It was the Dodgers' first home run of the three-game series.

Pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández singled and took second when Andy Pages reached after catcher interference from Kyle Higashioka. Shohei Ohtani singled and Hernández scored on an error, while Ohtani was safe at second on a throwing error by Fernando Tatis Jr.

Pages and Ohtani scored on Mookie Betts' single to make it 5-2.

Pages added a two-run, two-strike, two-out home run in the eighth.

Musgrove and Walker Buehler dueled in four scoreless innings before the Padres struck first in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Arráez to take a 1-0 lead.

Evan Phillips replaced Buehler in the sixth and gave up back-to-back singles to Jurickson Profar and Machado. They moved upfield on Jackson Merrill's sacrifice bunt. Profar scored on Xander Bogaerts' sacrifice fly up the middle for a 2-0 lead.

Anthony Banda (3-2) earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Padres reliever Tanner Scott (9-6) took the loss, allowing three runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Musgrove allowed two runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked one.

Buehler gave up one run and five hits with one strikeout and one walk in five innings.

TRAINER ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Brusdar Graterol went on IL due to right shoulder inflammation. … SS Miguel Rojas (left groin strain) had an MRI that showed an adductor tear. He has had an injection and will miss the next few days. … LHP Anthony Banda was activated before IL. … Placed RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. on IL with a broken right middle fingernail.

NEXT

Padres: They had not named a starter for Friday's series opener at Arizona.

Dodgers: It's a bullpen game for Friday's series opener in Colorado against Rockies RHP Cal Quantrill (8-10, 4.72 ERA).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB