Dodgers’ Will Smith, right, hits a two-run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann watches during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers’ Will Smith, right, hits a two-run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann watches during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, right, drops his bat as he hits into a double play as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann watches during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana, left, pats Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani on the head after Ohtani walked during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani smiles as he heads to first after walking during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Dodgers’ Will Smith, right, hits a two-run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks catcher James McCann watches during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES — Had it not been his bobblehead night, Will Smith might have been given the day off Saturday.
Instead, the Dodgers’ clutch middle-of-the-order threat toyed with the Arizona Diamondbacks, crushing a two-run home run in the eighth inning to power a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 start to the season.
Smith’s latest bobblehead represented his dramatic 11th-inning home run in Game 7 of last fall’s World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays that gave the Dodgers their second consecutive title.
The stakes were far from the same, although his wife and two daughters did throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and every fan in attendance was in possession of his painted likeness.
Another World Series hero, Will Klein (1-0), pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win and new closer Edwin Diaz picked up his second save in two nights.
Had it not been for more Smith heroics, the Dodgers would have been the latest juggernaut to blink in the presence of Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Like Team USA did earlier this month in the World Baseball Classic championship game, the Dodgers coughed and sputtered during a Rodriguez outing.
Rodriguez allowed an unearned run on four hits over five-plus innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
The evening had resembled Venezuela’s victory over Team USA for the WBC title on March 17, when Rodriguez gave up one hit over 4⅓scoreless innings against another powerful lineup. Venezuela walked away with a 3-2 victory for the title.
For the third consecutive game, the Dodgers found themselves in a 2-0 hole in the early innings.
Shohei Ohtani walked in his first two at-bats before grounding into a double play against Rodriguez in the fifth. Kyle Tucker struck out twice against Rodriguez, while Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas each had multiple hits against the 10-year veteran but neither got past second base.
The Dodgers trailed 2-0 when Tucker reached first base to lead off the sixth on an error by Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana. Rodriguez was replaced by right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga.
Tucker stole second base with one out and scored on a double by Freeman down the left-field line as the Dodgers pulled within 2-1.
With two outs in the eighth inning against Arizona’s Juan Morillo, Betts worked a four-pitch walk. With a 2-2 count, Smith crushed a fastball over the center field wall with a 105.1-mph exit velocity.
Shuffled down to the No. 3 spot in the rotation to start the season, Tyler Glasnow was effective over six innings, giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Alex Vesia pitched a scoreless seventh before Klein and Diaz held Arizona down the rest of the way.
With trumpets blazing, Diaz entered and marked the occasion with a perfect ninth inning.
Ohtani is now 1-for-8 (.125) to open the season, but does have a .587 on-base percentage after two more walks Saturday to give him four in three games.