Will Smith's big birthday blast powers Dodgers to sweeping win over Diamondbacks

Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times on Mar 29, 2026

Published in Baseball

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LOS ANGELES — Freeze frame. There’s Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith in his follow-through at the plate, watching the ball travel toward the wall Saturday.

Now, split screen. Pull up an image of the bobblehead the Dodgers gave out before the game, commemorating Smith’s Game 7 World Series-winning home run. It’s a mirror image.

On his bobblehead night and birthday, Smith delivered a two-run home run in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory at Dodger Stadium over the Arizona Diamondbacks and secure a series sweep.

Let’s get an overhead shot of the Hollywood sign.

It was the Dodgers’ first time facing a left-handed pitcher this season. The lineup changes were minimal against Diamondbacks southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts swapped first baseman Freddie Freeman and Smith in the batting order, so Smith hit fourth and Freeman fifth.

Santiago Espinal also made his Dodgers debut, starting at third base. Roberts said it wouldn’t be a platoon between Espinal and Max Muncy at third, but he wasn’t sure exactly how the playing time split would play out.

Freeman had gone hitless in the first two games of the series. But he had three hits in four at-bats, including a double in the sixth inning that drove in the Dodgers’ first run.

Although it was a quieter offensive performance than the two previous games, the Dodgers’ lineup again proved to be pesky.

That effort was made possible by a strong showing from the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow turned in a quality start. Holding the Diamondbacks to two runs over six innings, Glasnow’s curveball starred as his putaway pitch against right-handed hitters, and two-strike sinkers kept left-handed batters off balance. Glasnow recorded six strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ bullpen continued its scoreless streak for the series, as Alex Vesia, Will Klein and Edwin Díaz shut down the Diamondbacks through the last three innings.

—Injury update

Dodgers utility players Tommy Edman (right ankle surgery recovery) and Kiké Hernández (left elbow surgery recovery) took early batting practice on the field Saturday afternoon.

Roberts has said he expected Edman, on the 10-day injured list, will be an option by at least the end of May. Hernández will be eligible to be activated off the 60-day IL around the same time.

“I’d be shocked if (Hernández) wasn’t ready when that time is up,” Roberts said. “Taking grounders, the way he’s moving, the way he’s throwing, catching, the swing, ball coming off the bat. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was in the lineup tonight.”