The Dodgers dominance atop the National League West division continues.

Will Smith hit the game-tying home run, Shohei Ohtani singled in the go-ahead run, and Mookie Betts delivered a two-run single as the Los Angeles Dodgers scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to come from behind to beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

The victory clinched the 2024 National League West division title for the Dodgers, their 11th title in the last 12 years, and 23rd division crown overall.

After losing five straight to San Diego entering the series this season, the Dodgers took the final two games of the series to win the division crown.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They fought and fought and fought and overcame adversity.”

The Dodgers couldn’t muster much offense off Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove through six scoreless innings.

However, San Diego sent Musgrove back out to the mound for the bottom of the seventh and that’s when the Dodgers finally got to him.

Max Muncy led off the inning with a walk, and Smith followed with a home run to straightaway center that tied the game at 2-2.

Will Smith ties it up with one swing, his 20th HR of the year 💪 pic.twitter.com/3YE4YcNHk6

— MLB (@MLB) September 27, 2024

“It got everyone going,” said Smith of his game-tying homer.

Musgrove is 0-7 in his career against the Dodgers and will have to wait until next season to end that drought.

“Musgrove threw a heck of a ballgame,” Roberts said. “You got to tip your hat right there.”

Kiké Hernandez hit a pinch-hit single and Andy pages reached on a catcher’s interference call, setting the stage for more Shohei heroics.

Ohtani scored the go-ahead run on a single to right field that gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

The @Dodgers are on top thanks to who else?

Shohei Ohtani! 😤 pic.twitter.com/Ltnbco6I5a

— MLB (@MLB) September 27, 2024

“I’m really happy,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Today I came to the stadium really wanting to clinch.”

Betts broke the game open with a two-run single that gave the Dodgers a five-run inning and allowed the postgame champagne celebrations to continue as scheduled.

Mookie plates 2️⃣ more!

The @Dodgers can clinch the NL West with a win tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/7B3g5OjRK0

— MLB (@MLB) September 27, 2024

Andy Pages belted a two-run home run for some extra insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Walker Buehler pitched brilliantly, allowing just one run with five hits in five innings. Despite a rocky season, following his second Tommy John procedure, Buehler will be needed in the postseason for the Dodgers and appears to be hitting his stride at the right time.

One cause of concern for the Dodgers, was first baseman Freddie Freeman left the game with a right ankle injury trying to hustle down the first-base line in the seventh inning.

With the NL West division now sealed, and a first-round bye guaranteed. The Dodgers will look to sew up the best record in the NL and the number one overall seed as they head to Colorado for the final series of the regular season.

The owner of two Hollywood Hills mansions apologized Wednesday for the ongoing vandalism happening at his multi-million dollar homes. 

“What’s happened to the two properties I own is unacceptable, and no matter what caused it, I own the houses,” wrote John P. Middleton, the owner, in a statement. 

Two people were arrested in connection with vandalism Wednesday at one of two abandoned Hollywood Hills mansions owned by the son of the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team that became targets for taggers.

Spray paint cans and a loaded unregistered firearm were found in one suspect’s purse, police said. The suspects arrested Wednesday were identified by police as 35-year-old Jacob Smith, arrested on suspicion of vandalism, and 19-year-old Thomia Fagan, arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm in a vehicle.

In the statement, Middleton clarified that the homes had security already in place as well as a property manager. He said that now there is armed security present 24/7. 

“I’m disappointed to note that even as I have worked this week to paint over the graffiti, vandals still managed to break in and paint over the newly cleaned walls,” he wrote.

City workers placed fencing in front of the home earlier this week and Los Angeles Police Department officers were at the site.

Middleton said that he would repay the city any taxpayer funds used to protect the property.

The four-story, six-bedroom mansion with a large pool is perched on a hillside overlooking Los Angeles with views to the east and south. All levels of the exterior and the roof of the home, built in 2003, were covered in graffiti. Many of the windows are shattered.

From the Valley to Leimert Park and Hancock Park, people in communities across Southern California have been spotting coyotes in their neighborhoods.

Not nestled in the mountains, but in urban areas where many young children and house pets live.   

“We actually shouldn’t be surprised that coyotes are showing up in what we consider to be non-traditional locations like the middle of a city,” said Tim Daly, California Department Fish and Wildlife public information officer.  

Daly says that’s in part because coyotes are looking for food and resources not being found in their environments. And, what we are doing might be inviting to them.   

“It’s almost always unintentional. We might forget that we left the pet food out at night. We might not have remembered to clean our barbecue at the end of a long meal,” Daly added. “And, there’s those odors and bits of food still on a barbecue. We may be forgetting to trim under our backyard brush because we think, oh, it looks so lush and fully grown but that’s also a place where wildlife can hide. It’s a shelter.”

Reports about coyotes to their office are tracked.  

Total coyote interactions 2017-2024

Coyote sightings, depredation, possible human conflict, and nuisance complaints.

Our analysis of data obtained by the NBC4 I-Team shows calls to the department about coyotes in Los Angeles County have increased in all categories -from sightings to nuisance- compared to last year.   

Looking back to 2017, most reports about coyote run-ins with pets or livestock or what’s called “depredation” in LA County happened in zip code 91745 — the Hacienda Heights neighborhood.  

Most nuisance reports, which could be anything from tipping trash cans or making messes, were most reported in the 91711 area near Claremont.   

And, most of the calls about potential human conflict came from zip code 90027, the Griffith Park neighborhood, followed closely by 91364, the community of Woodland Hills.    

“We look at those reports every day, and then we will respond accordingly if we feel there’s a potential public safety issue going on, we will work with the people who made that report to make sure A, they’re okay, and B, they’re doing everything they can to eliminate what’s attracting them to their yard,” Daly said.   

Daly believes part of the rise in report could coincide with more people at home. 

“Also, more of us have cameras on our homes and in our backyards than ever. And so, we’re getting a lot more sightings reported to us that way as well,” he added   

He says sighting numbers might be a bit skewed because multiple reports might come in about the same animal.  

Again, the department tells the NBC4 I-Team, we could be the ones creating space for coyotes and other wildlife to feel invited, barbeques not being cleaned up, fallen fruit in your yard, bird feeders with overflow of seed are attractive to coyotes.   

The department wants to hear from you if you come across a coyote, especially if you feel at risk, so they can better access what is happening.    

They have a way to do that right on the front page of their website. There is also a link that explains how to deal with not just coyote but any wildlife you might come across in your home.