LOS ANGELES — — Will Smith hit a game-tying, two-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored three more runs in the seventh to beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday night and capture the NL West title.

The rally was dampened by an apparent injury to All-Star slugger Freddie Freeman, who left the game after an awkward collision with Luis Arráez and the first base bag trying to avoid being tagged out of the inning for the second. Freeman grabbed his lower right leg before staggering off the field.

The Dodgers (95-64) had not scored at home since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when cardboard cutouts replaced fans. The last time fans were present at home for a clincher was in 2018.

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

A sold-out crowd of 52,433, including retired Dodgers star Manny Ramirez, packed Dodger Stadium for the finale of the crucial series between the top two teams in the NL West. Both teams had already clinched a postseason berth.

The Padres led 2-0 when Joe Musgrove pitched six shutout innings.

But the Dodgers got to him in the seventh. Musgrove gave up a walk to Max Muncy. Smith followed with a 400-foot blast up the middle, tying the game at 2-2. It was the Dodgers’ first home run in the three-game series.

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

Pages and Ohtani scored on Mookie Betts’ single to make the score 5-2.

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

Musgrove and Walker Buehler dueled through four scoreless innings before the Padres struck in the fifth on Arráez’s RBI groundout to first for a 1-0 lead.

Evan Phillips replaced Buehler in the sixth and gave up back-to-back singles to Jurickson Profar and Machado. They advanced on Jackson Merrill’s sacrifice bunt. Profar scored on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly to center, creating a 2-0 lead.

Anthony Banda (3-2) got the win with 1 1/3 inning 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 in five innings with one strikeout and one walk.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Brusdar Graterol went on IL with right shoulder inflammation. … SS Miguel Rojas (left tightness) had an MRI that showed a torn adductor. He received an injection and will serve the next few days. … LHP Anthony Banda was activated off IL. … Posted RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. on IL with a cracked right middle fingernail.

NEXT

Padres: They didn’t name 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