The Los Angeles Dodgers won the NL West for the 11th time in the last 12 years with a 7-2 victory over division rival San Diego Padres.
This marks their 12th consecutive playoff appearance, the longest streak of any current team, trailing only the Atlanta Braves from 1991-2005 and the New York Yankees from 1995-2007 in MLB history.
The Boys in Blue are currently tied for the most wins in MLB history with 95 wins and 64 losses. However, this is their first season since 2018 where they have failed to surpass 100 wins (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
Already in Playoff Mode
For the Boys in Blue, who have secured a postseason berth already, it all came down to Thursday night. In comparison to previous years, this race was far closer than they’re used to, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Padres vying for the division lead.
The highly anticipated matchup between the Dodgers and Padres — separated by just three games when the series began — provided exactly the playoff atmosphere one would expect just a week before baseball officially opened in October.
Their lead was reduced on Tuesday night as San Diego, led by Michael King’s outstanding outing on the mound and Jake Cronenworth’s three RBIs, executed an unlikely triple play to win 4-2. The Dodgers overcame a 3-0 hole to defeat the Padres on Wednesday, moving one step closer to another NL West championship. The game on Wednesday was likewise extremely tight.
Thursday was a little different, with neither team scoring until the fourth inning. But the Padres got their first run in the fifth and scored again on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Trailing by two in the bottom of the seventh, catcher Will Smith smashed a two-run homer to center field to set up the upset. The Dodgers were on a roll and took the lead from the Padres, then added three more runs before heading back to the dugout.
LA extended their lead in the eighth inning with a two-run homer by outfielder Andy Pages, and they couldn’t lose.
How did they get here?
This season was just one of many in which they have proven to be dominant for the better part of the past decade. In addition to the NL West title, several players have won major awards, and by the end of the season that list will inevitably include Shohei Ohtani, who will become a member of baseball’s first 50-50 club.
It was almost certain that the Dodgers would grab an early lead in the division at the start of the year, and they did, but they faced stiff competition from their division rivals all season, and that’s what they did on Thursday, with a narrow victory.
Somehow they bolstered an already impressive roster when they signed Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract in the offseason. They also signed Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and traded for proven standout Tyler Glasnow from the Rays to bolster their strong starting rotation.
Injuries have had a major impact on the season, an issue that continues to plague the team as October approaches, as every starting pitcher has been on injured reserve at some point. Currently, key players such as Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin and River Ryan are still on injured reserve and are not expected to pitch in the playoffs.
For the Dodgers, though, who have prospered despite dealing with a glut of injured players, it all seems standard procedure. They used minor leaguers who were ready for the major leagues in a variety of ways to establish them as the NL West champions during the season. They have routinely earned a spot in October while fielding a variety of different players than they had at the beginning of the season thanks to a run of similar seasons.
In recent years, they have appeared in the World Series three times, winning once against the Tampa Bay Rays in 2020. But since then, their performance in the playoffs has been inexplicably disappointing, losing two consecutive rounds in the National League Division Series, most recently against the Diamondbacks, who surprised them with three straight wins on their way to a World Series berth.
Despite significant roster turnover since their title win, with key players such as Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Justin Turner moving to other teams, the team has maintained a long record thanks to free agent signings, transfers and a strong minor league system. They produce stars every year.
What’s next?
The Boys in Blue have three games left to close out the season before traveling to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies. They will then have a chance at a first-round matchup and await their first postseason opponent in the Wild Card Round.
If the season ended today, they would face either the Padres or the New York Mets after playing a best-of-three series to determine who would advance to the NLDS.