Kershaw’s K’s lead Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — Rookie Will Smith hit his first career grand slam, and Clayton Kershaw passed Sandy Koufax on the Dodgers’ career strikeouts list while throwing six strong innings in Los Angeles’ 8-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday night.

Cody Bellinger hit his first homer in two weeks and added a two-run double for the major league-leading Dodgers (72-39), who opened a 10-game homestand with their third straight win.

Matt Beaty had an RBI double as Los Angeles surged into August by taking a 16-game lead over San Francisco in the NL West.

Hunter Renfroe hit his 30th homer and Manny Machado had an RBI single for the Padres, who opened August with another loss after going 8-16 in July.

Kershaw (10-2) is third in Dodgers history and first among lefties after passing Koufax while recording five strikeouts, giving him 2,397 in a career spent entirely in blue. Kershaw struggled with five walks and gave up exactly one hit in every inning, but repeatedly escaped trouble to remain unbeaten since June.

Kershaw went at least six innings for the 19th time in 19 starts this season, earning his 16th quality start. While teammates Hyun-Jin Ryu and Walker Buehler have stolen some of Kershaw’s usual spotlight this summer.

Joey Lucchesi (7-6) yielded four hits and three walks, but left with the bases loaded right before Smith’s slam.

Renfroe led off the second with a solo shot, securing his first 30-homer season with two months to spare.

Bellinger answered with a 425-foot shot into right for his 35th homer on Lucchesi’s first pitch of the bottom half.