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Dodgers Earn Fifth Consecutive NL West Title And Head To Playoffs After Win Against The Giants
Clayton Kershaw and Chase Utley during a game against the Giants earlier this season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2 Friday night, clinching their fifth straight National League West Title and officially securing their spot in this year's playoffs. Earlier this month, the Dodgers' win against the Giants confirmed they'd be in the postseason, but they hadn't yet won the NL West Title.
While this is the fifth NL West Title for the team, previous wins still haven't led to a World Series appearance, the L.A. Times points out. The last time the Dodgers followed a NL West Title with a spot in the World Series was in 1988. The Dodgers also currently have the best record in Major League Baseball, with 98 wins and 56 losses. That's two games better than the Cleveland Indians, who are the leaders in the American League, according to Bleacher Report. If the Dodgers maintain the best overall record for the division, they'll get home-field advantage during the playoffs.
First baseman Adrian Gonzalez told the Times, “[y]ou have to celebrate every accomplishment. But it’s World Series or bust." Clayton Kershaw told ABC, "[w]e're celebrating, but that doesn't mean we don't know there's more work to do."
The Dodgers will open the NL Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 6. They still have two more games against the Giants before then, as well as three games each against the Padres and the Rockies. The priorities for these games will be maintaining their record in order to guarantee better advantages during the postseason.
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