The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth straight NL West title Thursday with a 8-2 win over the Reds.
The division crown is LA’s 13th in 14 seasons. It comes with nine games left in an injury-plagued season for LA.
Kyle Tucker had four hits and three RBIs, finishing a triple short of the Dodgers’ first cycle since 2017. Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Josue De Paula and Miguel Rojas also knocked drove in runs.
Justin Wrobleski started the bullpen game, throwing three perfect innings. Blake Treinen gave up a solo shot in the fourth, Landon Knack hurled four scoreless innings and Seth Halvorsen allowed a run in the ninth.
“You guys always step up. It doesn’t matter how you guys feel,” manager Dave Roberts told the team. “This organization has an opportunity to do something really special. The next nine games… let’s eliminate distractions, focus on baseball. We all have to make sacrifices, whatever it takes.”
The bullpen game was necessary with only four starters on the active roster on a team that has been at least than full strength. Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages remain on the 15-day IL.
After the game, LA held a four-game lead over the Braves for the second seed in the National League. Securing the No. 2 seed would give the Dodgers a pass to the NL Division Series, bypassing the first round and providing five days off to rest and heal.
Sports
Get today’s sports news out of Los Angeles. Here’s the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
What we know about the WNBA playoffs so far: Teams, bracket, start date and more
NFL Week 2 uniforms: Here are the helmets, jerseys and pants for every team
The Dodgers 2024 and 2025 World Series titles made them the first team in a quarter-center to win back-to-back championships. LA is aiming for a third straight World Series title, which would be the first three-peat since the Yankees (1998-2000).