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(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers opened up their 2026 MLB season with a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it was Will Smith’s go-ahead home run in the eighth inning that sealed the 3-2 win on March 28 at Dodger Stadium.
Arizona held a 2-1 lead in the eighth inning, but that advantage was erased after Dodgers catcher Will Smith hit a go-ahead two-run home run to give Los Angeles the one-run lead.
Edwin Diaz would come in the ninth inning to close out the game and seal the win for the Dodgers to sweep Arizona and have a three-game win streak. After the win, Smith spoke about his clutch moment on his 31st birthday and bobblehead day.
“He was kind of pumping me heaters there,” Smith told Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA. “I was taking the slider pretty well. I just got the barrel on a fastball and snuck out… There’s nothing better than playing in front of our home fans here at Dodger Stadium. Late in innings we never feel like we’re out of the game. It always feels like someone’s going to come up with a big hit. We keep applying pressure. Mookie got on right before me, and tonight it was me who got the big hit.
Will Smith Enjoys to Be In Pressure Situations for LA
Moreover, Smith spoke about his ability to come up in clutch situations for the Dodgers, considering his heroic Game 7 home run in the World Series last year is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
“I just feel prepared, I feel calm and feel under control and not trying to do too much,” Smith said (h/t Dodgers Insider). “And I’ve had success. So that brings confidence in those situations. Knowing the pitcher’s kind of panicking out there, feels stressed, but I’m not as stressed as them.”
Smith wasn’t even scheduled to play in this March 28 game against Arizona, but he pushed to get into the lineup, making his case to manager Dave Roberts.
“It proved to be the right decision,” Roberts said. “When you talk about big hits, clutch, Will’s right at the top of the list.”
Freddie Freeman Weighs In on Dodgers’ Clutch Mentality
No question looking up and down the lineup that the Dodgers have players that are more than capable of coming up with a clutch hit, or in this case, a home run when the team needs it the most.
First baseman Freddie Freeman spoke about the mentality that every player in the dressing room has when it comes to wanting to be up at the plate in those pressure situations.
“Everyone on our team could hit third in the lineup. Everyone wants that at-bat and that’s the key to our lineup,” Freddie Freeman said after the Dodgers win. “We all want to be in that situation. We all want to be the guy up there. If you don’t get it done, then you know the next guy is going to get it done.”
The Dodgers will continue their homestand with a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians beginning on March 30.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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