In a thrilling showdown at Dodger Stadium, Will Smith made history by launching his first career leadoff home run, setting the tone for a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. The win was crucial for Los Angeles, as it reclaimed sole possession of first place in the NL West after the San Diego Padres stumbled earlier in the day.

With Shohei Ohtani taking a second consecutive night off to work through an offensive slump, Smith stepped into the leadoff spot and delivered immediately. His solo blast to right-center off Giants starter Landen Roupp in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead and electrified the home crowd.

The Dodgers extended their advantage to 2-0 in the second inning on an RBI single from Hyeseong Kim. But the Giants fought back in the fifth, as Jung Hoo Lee sprinted around the bases for an inside-the-park, two-run homer off Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, knotting the game at 2-2.

Sheehan, who allowed just two runs and two hits while striking out six over six innings, kept the game within reach. The Dodgers' offense then erupted in the sixth inning. With two outs, pinch-hitter Alex Call delivered a tiebreaking two-run single to right off reliever Matt Gage, scoring Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández. Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2.

Tanner Scott slammed the door in the ninth, retiring the side in order to earn his fourth save of the season. The victory allowed the Dodgers to salvage a split in the four-game series, avoiding their first home series loss to the Giants since June 2023.

Roupp took the loss for San Francisco, surrendering four runs on six hits over 5⅓ innings while striking out seven. The Giants now turn their attention to a Friday matchup against the Athletics in West Sacramento, while the Dodgers head to Anaheim to face the Angels.