Dodgers Defeat Giants 5-2, Reclaim NL West Lead

Why it matters locally: As a California rivalry, the Dodgers reclaiming the NL West lead from another California team, the Giants, directly impacts the state's sports landscape and fan base.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-2. Will Smith's first-inning home run set the tone for the Dodgers. Alex Call contributed a two-run single in the sixth inning. Smith, batting leadoff, homered to right-center field. Max Muncy scored in the second inning after reaching base on a walk. Teoscar Hernández doubled in the first inning. San Francisco's Jung Hoo Lee hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning. Emmet Sheehan pitched six innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts. Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Edgardo Henriquez combined to pitch three scoreless innings in relief. The Dodgers' win, coupled with San Diego's loss to Milwaukee, puts Los Angeles in first place in the National League West.