The Los Angeles Dodgers officially locked up a playoff berth on Monday, marking their 14th consecutive season in the postseason. That incredible run ties the major league record, a feat previously held solely by the Atlanta Braves from 1991-2005. The Dodgers kept rolling with another win in Cincinnati on Tuesday, a result that kicked the Arizona Diamondbacks right out of National League West contention. This division title is down to just two teams, and frankly, it feels like it’s already over.
One Win to Rule the West
After Tuesday’s victory, the Dodgers are up 10 games on the San Diego Padres, with only 11 games left in the season. Look at the standings: Dodgers are sitting pretty at 92-59, while the Padres are 82-69. The Dodgers have already absolutely owned the Padres this season, winning seven of their 10 matchups, which means they’ve clinched the critical tiebreaker. What does that all boil down to? Their magic number to clinch the NL West division title is a ridiculously low one. That’s right, one single Dodgers win or one Padres loss, whichever comes first, will hand the Dodgers their fifth consecutive NL West crown and their 13th in the last 14 years. The earliest this can all go down is Wednesday, September 16th. Tonight, the Dodgers are facing off against the Reds at 3:40 p.m. PT, while the Padres are playing the Rockies at 5:40 p.m. PT. Keep your eyes peeled, because history is about to be made.
Hunting for That Top Seed
Clinching the division is huge, but the Dodgers aren’t done yet. They’re still battling for a first-round bye in the postseason. The two division winners with the best records get to skip the wild card round and head straight into the National League Division Series, starting on Saturday, October 3, instead of fighting it out on Tuesday, September 29. As of September 15, the NL division leaders are the Brewers at 94-57, the Dodgers at 92-59, and the Braves at 89-63. The Dodgers don’t hold the tiebreaker over either the Brewers or the Braves, so they gotta earn that higher seed with a better record. Their magic number to clinch at least the No. 2 seed over Atlanta is eight; they need eight of 21 outcomes to go their way. Atlanta, on the other hand, needs 14 of 21 to snatch that No. 2 spot. Grabbing the No. 1 seed over Milwaukee is a much tougher climb for the Dodgers. They need 14 of 22 outcomes to finish with the best record in the National League, while the Brewers need only nine of 22 outcomes to snag the best NL record for the second year in a row.
So, get ready, baseball fans. The Dodgers are on the verge of another division title, and then the real race begins for that coveted top seed. Tonight’s game against the Reds could decide it all.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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