LOS ANGELES -- Will Smith had two hits and Michael Grove pitched five solid innings to pick up his first career victory as the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the National League with a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

By clinching the best record in the league, the Dodgers secured home-field advantage through the National League Championship Series. Their +322 run differential this season is on pace to be the best by any team in a season since the 1939 New York Yankees (+411, won World Series).

Two days after reaching 700 home runs, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols received a standing ovation when he was announced as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and struck out.

Grove (1-0), making his sixth appearance and fifth start, gave up one run and three hits to help the Dodgers tie a club record with their 106th win -- previously accomplished in 2019 and 2021. Andre Jackson pitched the final three innings for his first save, with left fielder Joey Gallo making a diving catch of a ball hit by Dylan Carlson to end the game.

The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman doubled in the first inning, giving him 191 hits and tying his career-high set in 2018 with Atlanta.

Los Angeles scored twice in the first. After Freeman's run-scoring hit, Adam Wainwright walked Gallo with the bases load to make it 2-0.

Yadier Molina had an RBI single in the second to pull St. Louis to 3-1, but Smith's RBI single in the bottom of the inning restored the Dodgers' two-run lead. Cody Bellinger had an RBI double to right field in the third to push Los Angeles' lead to 4-1.

Wainwright (11-11) allowed four runs and six hits with three walks in three innings.

Wainwright and Molina made their 327th career start as batterymates, extending their MLB record.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.