The Dodgers just pulled off something incredible on September 14, clinching a playoff berth for their 14th season in a row! That’s a massive achievement, tying the major league record held by the Atlanta Braves, who did it from 1991-2005. Seriously, that kind of consistency is wild to see in any sport.
A Historic Run and Division Domination
Talk about a hot streak, huh? The Dodgers were on fire, taking down the Reds not once, not twice, but three times in a row. First, that September 14 win got them into the postseason. Then, they won again on September 15 in Cincinnati, and that victory officially knocked the Arizona Diamondbacks out of National League West contention. As if that wasn’t enough, they beat the Reds again on September 16, which locked them in ahead of the San Diego Padres. That third win secured their fifth consecutive division title and an astounding 13th in the last 14 years. It’s a run of dominance that’s hard to wrap your head around!
The High-Stakes Fight for the Bye
So, they’re in, which is huge, but the real battle is for that bye directly into the National League Division Series. Why does that matter? It means starting the postseason on Saturday, October 3, instead of battling it out in the wild card round on Tuesday, September 29. That extra rest and skipping a whole series is massive! As of the Brewers game on September 23, the NL division leaders are the Brewers at 100-59, the Dodgers at 97-61, and the Braves at 93-65.
Here’s where it gets interesting: the Dodgers don’t have the tiebreaker with either the Brewers or the Braves. That means they gotta finish with a better record, plain and simple, to get a higher seed. Their magic number to clinch at least the No. 2 seed over Atlanta is just one. They need only one of eight outcomes to go their way to finish ahead of the Braves. Atlanta, on the flip side, needs all eight of those outcomes to claim that No. 2 spot. But snagging the No. 1 seed over Milwaukee? That’s a whole different beast. The Dodgers have a magic number of seven to get the best record in the National League. They need seven of seven outcomes to fall their way for that top spot, while the Brewers need only one of seven outcomes to lock down the best NL record for the second year in a row.
This isn’t just about making the playoffs, it’s about securing the best possible path to the championship. That bye could be everything, and the fight for those top two seeds is going down to the wire!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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