Will Smith’s dramatic home run in the 9th lifts Dodgers over Padres 4-3

By Canadian Press on June 18, 2025.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith hit a tiebreaking home run in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Wednesday night.

The Padres tied the game at 3 in the top of the inning on Jake Cronenworth’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly off reliever Justin Wrobleski (2-2) and Xander Bogaerts’ RBI double to center.

Smith connected on a 90 mph changeup from closer Robert Suarez (1-3) for the Dodgers’ 25th comeback win of the season.

After four players were hit by pitches in the first two games of the series and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was ejected on Tuesday, Andy Pages was hit on his left shoulder by a 91 mph cutter by Stephen Kolek in the seventh. Pages was plunked by Padres starter Dylan Cease on Monday.

With the umpires watching, Kolek and Pages exchanged nods as Kolek left the game one out later.

The first-place Dodgers won their fifth in a row and improved to 5-1 against the Padres.

Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan allowed one run over four innings of his first major league start in 1 1/2 years after having Tommy John surgery in May 2024.

The Dodgers got their offense from the bottom of the lineup, including a two-run single from rookie Dalton Rushing in the fifth.

The Dodgers’ top four hitters — Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández — were a combined 1 for 16.

Key moment

San Diego’s Manny Machado grounded into a fielder’s choice to third in the ninth. Muncy’s throw was low to the outfield side and second baseman Edman didn’t get his glove down as the ball rolled past him, giving the Padres two runners on instead of a potential double play.

Key stat

Ohtani struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh, extending his hitless skid to 0 for 8 since making his Dodgers pitching debut on Monday.

Up next

Padres RHP Ryan Bergert (1-0, 2.33 ERA) starts Thursday’s series finale. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-5, 2.64) tries to end a three-game skid.

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

Beth Harris, The Associated Press