Dodgers Recap: Will Smith’s Walk-off Home Run Gives Dodgers Series Win Over San Diego

CHAVEZ RAVINE — Emmet Sheehan was nothing short of great in his first start back in the big leagues since 2023. Justin Wrobleski was nothing short of phenomenal. And similar to the first two games of this four-game set between these divisional rivals, a depleted Dodgers pitching staff did just enough to hold the scuffling San Diego offense at bay, until a pinch-hit home run from Will Smith gave Robert Suarez his second consecutive loss and gave the Dodgers their fifth straight win.

For the third time in three games, however, the Padres scratched across the game’s first run. Tonight, it was Elias Diaz lining a hard-hit ball that was too much for Tommy Edman to handle at second base. The ball bounced into short right field, giving Jake Cronenworth plenty of time to scurry home. And on the mound for San Diego, young right-hander Stephen Kolek was doing more than enough to keep this dangerous Dodgers lineup off balance. Kolek retired ten of the first eleven hitters he faced, the only hit coming on a double from the scorching hot Andy Pages.

But in the fifth, the Dodgers got a break. Max Muncy sent a long fly ball to right field that glanced off the glove of Fernando Tatis Jr, and Muncy, busting it out of the box, made it to third base ahead of the throw. On the next pitch, Pages sent a ball to shallow center field, and Muncy, testing the arm of Bryce Johnson, slid home safely to tie the game. The next batter, Tommy Edman, singled. Hyeseong Kim, who Dave Roberts said would get more consistent playing time pregame, doubled into the right-field corner. Then, Dalton Rushing, working an impressive at-bat, singled them both home, and the Dodgers were ahead 3-1.

Wrobleski shut down the Padres in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. The only baserunner he allowed was a bouncer down the third-base line from Bryce Johnson that turned into a double. Tatis, who was then the tying run, was promptly put away by Wrobleski on two pitches. But the two Padres relievers, Wandy Peralta and David Morgan, did a fantastic job working in and out of trouble in the late innings to keep it a 3-1 ballgame.

The ninth inning, however, had everything. Dave Roberts sent Wrobleski back out on the mound again. Luis Arraez singled. Manny Machado hit a chopper to third, and what could’ve been a rally-killing double play ball ended up being a throwing error from Max Muncy that put the tying runs on base. Gavin Sheets then lined one into left for a single to load the bases. But Wrobleski induced a flyout from Cronenworth, and although it scored a run, kept the tying one squarely at second base. And as it has the last few days, the game found the struggling Xander Bogaerts again. But this time, he came through. Bogaerts shot one into the left center field gap, scoring Machado and sending pinch runner Brandon Lockridge to third on a clutch double. It was a questionable decision from Padres third base coach Tim Leiper to hold Lockridge at third, and it backfired on San Diego. Jose Iglesias grounded the next ball to Freddie Freeman at first, and Lockridge, running on contact, was gunned down at the plate. Finally, Diaz grounded to third to end the inning.

In the bottom of the inning, Mike Shildt opted to go with his closer, Robert Suarez, who’d blown a 7-3 lead last Saturday against Arizona. Suarez retired Edman on a popup for the first out. Instead of Kiké Hernandez, Roberts went with Will Smith, who had been watching from the dugout on his day off. On an 0-1 count, Smith absolutely pulverized a pitch that went just foul down the left field line. Now down 0-2, Smith dug in. Suarez went off speed, and Smith sent a 91-mph changeup just out of the reach of Tatis in right and into the home run seats. Smith, who’d had an uber-impressive at-bat Tuesday night against Jeremiah Estrada when he homered after a dozen pitches, put together an arguably better one there, and he gives the Dodgers their fifth straight win.

This series between these NL foes has been everything it’s been hyped up to be. It’ll finish tomorrow, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting the ball for Los Angeles and Ryan Bergert going for the Padres. The Dodgers will be looking for their sixth in a row, while San Diego looks to avoid the sweep. First pitch: 7:10 PT. Until then, folks.

Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!