The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons after a 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. ©Ideogram
Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons with a resounding 7-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. A five-run rally in the seventh inning, highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s go-ahead RBI single, propelled the Dodgers to the division crown, further cementing their dominance in the NL West.
Key Performances:
- Shohei Ohtani went 3-for-5, delivering the decisive hit with a two-out single to right, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
- Will Smith sparked the comeback with a two-run homer, his 20th of the season, tying the game at 2-2 in the seventh.
- Mookie Betts sealed the win with a two-run single, putting the Dodgers in control of the game.
The Dodgers (95-64) trailed 2-0 going into the bottom of the seventh after San Diego’s Luis Arraez and Xander Bogaerts each drove in a run for the Padres. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler turned in a solid performance, allowing just one run on five hits over five innings in his final tune-up before the postseason. Anthony Banda (3-2) came off the injured list to earn the win, tossing 1⅓ scoreless innings.
Despite a strong outing from Joe Musgrove, who allowed two runs over 6⅓ innings, the Padres (91-68) could not maintain their lead and saw their hopes of sweeping the Dodgers dashed. Tanner Scott (9-6) was charged with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, in just two-thirds of an inning.
The victory did come at a cost for Los Angeles, as first baseman Freddie Freeman exited the game in the seventh inning after rolling his right ankle while trying to beat out a ground ball. The severity of the injury is yet to be determined, and the Dodgers hope to have Freeman healthy as they gear up for the postseason.
The Dodgers held off a late-season surge from the Padres, who clinched a playoff spot earlier in the week, but their bid to overtake Los Angeles for the division title ended with the series loss. The Padres will now turn their attention to the postseason, while the Dodgers continue their quest for a deep playoff run.
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