'It's a big deal': Dodgers clinch NL West for 13th time in 14 seasons — SkimNews
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- Dodgers clinched the NL West with an 8-2 win over the Reds on Thursday — their fifth consecutive division title and 13th in the past 14 seasons — as manager Dave Roberts called it 'a big deal' but warned it's 'not the end goal'
- Los Angeles (93-60) extended its postseason streak to 14 consecutive seasons, tying the Braves' 1991-2005 record, while trailing the Brewers (95-57) for the NL's top seed and leading the Braves (89-64) by 3½ games for the second seed
- Two-time defending World Series champions targeting the first three-peat since the Yankees won from 1998 to 2000
- Shohei Ohtani has been on the 15-day IL since Sept. 8 with right biceps inflammation and told reporters he's done pitching for the season, though he took swings off a tee Tuesday and is expected to return as a hitter before the regular season ends
- Tarik Skubal, acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline, is 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in eight starts since joining the Dodgers, making them odds-on World Series favorites
- Edwin Diaz is expected to be activated Friday, Roki Sasaki threw a successful live BP and his next outing will be a start, while Blake Snell left Wednesday's start after one inning with left groin tightness
- Freddie Freeman returned from right knee soreness Tuesday with three hits and added two more on Thursday, ending a 3-for-30 slump
Why it matters: With Ohtani done pitching, Snell's status uncertain, and Diaz not yet activated, the Dodgers' bid for the NL's top seed and a three-peat hinges on getting healthy before October — and Roberts' pointed reminder about stranding 12 runners in Wednesday's loss signals how thin the margin for error is in a short playoff series.
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