Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up their fifth straight National League West divisional title on Thursday to keep their bid for a third consecutive World Series title firmly on track. The reigning Major League Baseball champions, who had already secured their ticket to the playoffs, clinched their 13th NL West title in 14 seasons with an 8-2 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds. The divisional crown means the Dodgers are guaranteed home-field advantage if they go into the wild card round of the playoffs.
However, the Dodgers (93-60) are now looking to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs with nine games of the regular season remaining. “It has been a grind,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Thursday’s clincher. “We’ve worked hard since the middle of February, and here we are. It’s another box that’s checked but there’s still a lot of work to be done.” The Dodgers, World Series champions in 2024 and 2025, are aiming to become the first team to complete a hat-trick of MLB titles since the New York Yankees in 1998-2000.
Related news
Roberts, though, urged his star-studded team not to be distracted by three-peat talk. “Like I said the other day, just keep the blinders on,” Roberts said. “There’s a lot of expectations and a lot of talk that shouldn’t affect the games going forward. I just want to keep our guys focused on baseball.”
Despite wrapping up the division with several games to spare, the Dodgers have looked less than convincing in recent weeks. Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani is injured, while the team were swept in series by the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves last month. The team also dropped three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers, who are poised to be NL top seeds in the playoffs.
© 2024 AFP
