LOS ANGELES -- Will Smith just missed a homer on the second pitch he saw from Padres closer Robert Suarez on Wednesday night. It had the distance, but he pulled it off to the side of the left-field foul pole.
On the third pitch, Smith did not miss. He sent this one to right field, just out of reach of a leaping Fernando Tatis Jr., and Dodger Stadium erupted.
Smith walked it off with a pinch-hit blast to give the Dodgers a 4-3 victory, ensuring at least a series win in the four-game set vs. the Padres. Smith broke a tie with Rick Monday for the most pinch-hit walk-off homers in franchise history with the third of his career, and he could make a run at Major League history as well.
Most career pinch-hit walk-off home runs, MLB history
Jason Giambi: 6
Smith, Charlie Culberson, Larry Sheets and Gates Brown: 3
Including the postseason, Kirk Gibson also has three.
"Walk-off homers are always fun," Smith said. "They're exciting, the crowd loves them. It's fun to go home with fireworks and everything."
The night before, manager Dave Roberts claimed to call Smith going yard when the Dodgers' starting backstop engaged in an epic 12-pitch battle against reliever Jeremiah Estrada that, yes, ended in a homer. He felt a long ball coming on Wednesday, too.
“I did," Roberts said. "But after the pull-side foul homer, it’s hard to then go backside on the next pitch. So that was pretty remarkable. But I had my fingers crossed.”
Smith had a planned day off, so rookie Dalton Rushing was behind the dish as Emmet Sheehan made his return from Tommy John surgery with four strong innings and Justin Wrobleski relieved him with five innings of two-run ball.
Rushing also gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game with a two-run single in the fifth that came off his bat at 111.1 mph. The timely knock gave L.A. a 3-1 advantage that held up until the top of the ninth.
Wrobleski began his outing with four scoreless innings, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced in that span. But he got into some trouble in the ninth, starting when Luis Arraez led off the frame with a single. Manny Machado then reached on a fielder's choice, while Arraez made it safely to second on a Max Muncy throwing error.
After a Jake Cronenworth sacrifice fly and a Xander Bogaerts RBI double, the game was tied heading into the bottom of the ninth. The Padres called on their closer. And with one out in the frame, Roberts called on his star catcher.
Suarez had not given up a homer in 31 innings this season before serving up the walk-off blast to Smith.
As big as it was to get the win, it was even more important to end the game without going to extra innings.
The Dodgers had already used bullpen games in the first two contests against the Padres, and they didn't have many arms they were truly comfortable with using other than Sheehan and Wrobleski on Wednesday night. When Wrobleski was in hot water in the ninth, Kirby Yates began warming up in the 'pen, but he sat back down once the Dodgers came up to bat.
Wrobleski would have gone out for the top of the 10th had things escalated that far, but thanks to Smith, there was no need.
"Obviously, I'm fired up because we won the game," Wrobleski said. "First and foremost, that's awesome. … But I was sitting there ready to go out for that next inning. Will hits a homer, I guess my night's done, our night's done, we win the game."
After an uneven 2024, Smith has been one of the steadiest bats this season for the Dodgers -- and in the Majors at large. His .966 OPS ranks fourth among qualified Major Leaguers, behind only Aaron Judge (1.192), Shohei Ohtani (1.013) and Cal Raleigh (.995).
“He’s just a tough young ballplayer. Going through the injuries and still never making an excuse for it," Roberts said. "But now, he’s healthy, he’s strong, as you can see when he’s in the batter’s box, behind the plate. He’s really performing. It’s just good to see. Because I’ve always had the utmost confidence in Will as a ballplayer.”