Will Smith hits 1st leadoff HR as Dodgers beat Giants 5-2, regain sole NL West lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith hit his first career leadoff home run and pinch-hitter Alex Call had a tiebreaking two-run single in the sixth inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night in the series finale.

Smith was in the leadoff spot that usually belongs to Shohei Ohtani, who was given a second straight night off as designated hitter amid an offensive slump. Smith went deep to right-center off Landen Roupp (5-4) in the bottom of the first.

The win moved the Dodgers back into sole possession of first in the NL West after the San Diego Padres lost earlier Thursday. Los Angeles salvaged a split in the four-game series to avoid losing its first series to the Giants at home since June 16-18, 2023.

With two outs, Call singled to right off reliever Matt Gage, scoring Max Muncy, who grounded into a fielder's choice, and Teoscar Hernández, who singled. Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI single that gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead.

The Giants tied it at 2 on Jung Hoo Lee’s inside-the-park, two-run homer off Emmet Sheehan (3-1) with two outs in the fifth.

Hyeseong Kim's RBI single extended the Dodgers' lead to 2-0 in the second.

Sheehan allowed two runs and two hits while striking out six over six innings. Tanner Scott retired the side in the ninth to earn his fourth save.

Roupp gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings and struck out seven.

Giants: RHP Tyler Mahle (1-4, 5.18) starts Friday against Athletics RHP Aaron Civale (4-1, 2.59) in West Sacramento.

Dodgers: LHP Blake Snell (0-1, 12.00 ERA) starts Friday against Angels RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-2, 3.97) in Anaheim.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani sits in the dugout during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Alex Call, right, celebrates near San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames after hitting an RBI single during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Will Smith has sunflower seeds thrown at him after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Africa CDC, the continent's top public health body, on Friday confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in Congo’s remote Ituri province, with 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths recorded so far.

The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control ​and Prevention said in a statement.

“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is a rare but severe, and often fatal.

The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths.

The new outbreak is the country’s 17th since the disease first emerged in the Congo in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people.

Ituri is in a remote part of Congo characterized by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.

The new outbreak will create more worry for the Central African country, which has been battling various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group, which launched a rapid assault in January last year and has since occupied key cities.

Ituri in particular is also battling violence from the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Force militant group which has killed dozens there and in other parts of the east.

Congo, Africa's second-largest country by land area, often faces logistical challenges in responding to disease outbreaks. During last year's outbreak, which lasted three months, the World Health Organization initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.

FILE - Health workers walk with a boy suspected of having the Ebola virus at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, Sept 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro, File)