Turner, Smith pace L.A.’S sweep

ARLINGTON — Justin Turner put the Dodgers ahead with a record-breaking hit in a big inning fueled by a nice stop-gone-bad by Fernando Tatis Jr., and Los Angeles closed out a threegame NL division series sweep of the San Diego Padres with an 12-3 win Thursday night.

Will Smith set a Dodgers postseason record with five hits, and Joc Pederson had a two-run single to cap that decisive five-run third as Los Angeles advanced to its fourth NL championship series in five years — the Dodgers lost to the Washington Nationals in a five-game division series last season. It will be the Dodgers’ 14th NLCS, matching the St. Louis Cardinals for the most.

Turner’s RBI single made it 3-2 and was his 64th career postseason hit, breaking a tie with Steve Garvey for the most in Dodgers postseason history. That came right after Tatis, the 21year-old budding superstar,

made a diving play on Corey Seager’s hard grounder, but made an errant throw from his knee.

AJ Pollock drove home Turner with a single, and Pederson lined his single over the outstretched glove of third baseman Manny Machado to make it 6-2.

Smith delivered an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run double in the ninth off the 11th Padres pitcher — a postseason record.

Los Angeles will stay in Arlington to open the bestof-seven NLCS on Monday against Atlanta with fans in attendance for the first time during this pandemic-altered season. The World Series also will be played in the Texas Rangers’ new $1.2 billion stadium with the retractable roof.

Julio Urias (2-0), the third Dodgers pitcher, struck out six, walked one and allowed an unearned run over his five innings.

The Padres loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but there would be no more grand slams — not like in the four games in a row they hit those against the Rangers, including their only two previous games at Globe Life Field.

San Diego did take a 2-1 lead, on rookie Jake Croneworth’s walk after Wil Myers was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, and Trent Grisham’s RBI single before Tatis struck out.

Only four pitchers had ever been younger when starting a potential elimination game than Padres lefty Adrian Morejon (0-1) at 21 years and 224 days old. He allowed three runs, the last batter he faced being Seager on the play with Tatis’ error.