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The Los Angeles Dodgers win the NL West title again

Posted on by Vanessa
The Los Angeles Dodgers win the NL West title again

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Shohei Ohtani hit a go-ahead single in a five-run seventh inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons with a 7-2 victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Thursday.

Will Smith hit a game-winning two-run home run and Mookie Betts added a two-run single in the seventh for the Dodgers (95-64). Ohtani went 3 of 5.

Los Angeles held off the second-half surge of the Padres, who secured a playoff spot with a win at Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The Dodgers' victory came at a cost, as first baseman Freddie Freeman retired in the seventh inning after twisting his right ankle while trying to hit a ground ball to second base.

Luis Arraez and Xander Bogaerts each drove in a run for the Padres (91-68), who needed to win three games in Los Angeles to have a chance of catching the Dodgers in the division but lost the final two games of the series.

Dodgers starter Walker Buehler gave up one run on five hits over five innings in his final game before the playoffs. He fanned one and took one for a walk. Anthony Banda (3-2) came off the injured list and pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings in the win.

Padres starter Joe Musgrove gave up two runs on five hits over 6⅓ innings with a walk and six strikeouts. Tanner Scott (9-6) was credited for three runs (two earned) in two-thirds of an inning.

San Diego went first in the fifth inning when former Dodger David Peralta drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a double by Kyle Higashioka. Arraez brought Peralta home on a groundball to first base.

The Padres extended their lead to 2-0 in the sixth inning against Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips when Jurickson Profar singled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to center off Bogaerts.

Los Angeles finally got to Musgrove in the seventh inning. Max Muncy hit a leadoff walk and Smith hit a game-winning home run to center field, his 20th of the season and just his third of the September 18 games.

Enrique Hernandez had a pinch-hit single and Andy Pages got first base on catcher's interference before Ohtani hit a slow roller to right field for a 3-2 lead. Betts followed with his two-run double.

Pages hit a two-run home run for the Dodgers in the eighth, his 12th.

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