The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Oakland A’s by a 7-2 final score in their Tuesday night matchup, clinching the National League West title and the #1 seed on the NL side of the playoff bracket.
The Dodgers, who have consistently been one of baseball’s strongest teams for the past decade, will put up a NL West pennant in Dodger Stadium for the eighth consecutive season after their 2020 triumph, the third-best streak of all time. Only the Atlanta Braves (14) and the New York Yankees (9) have taken first place in their division in more consecutive seasons than the Dodgers.
Los Angeles, whose record currently sits at 39-16, which will almost certainly end up being the best regular season mark in MLB, has gotten standout performances from its pitching staff and most of its lineup staples to establish themselves as one of the favorites to bring home the World Series crown.
The Dodgers’ 121 wRC+ means that they have had baseball’s second-best offense this season, behind only the Atlanta Braves, while its pitching staff has combined to post an excellent 3.04 ERA, the best mark in all of baseball.
The Dodgers will now wait to see which team will be the last to qualify for the NL playoffs, as the #8 seed will be their first round playoff opponent.
