The Los Angeles Dodgers were slow out of the gate this season, which allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies to jostle atop the National League West standings. The Dodgers eventually gained traction and stormed to a commanding lead in the division.
They improved to 55 games over .500 and held a 21-game lead in the NL West, both of which were season-highs, on Aug. 25. But they fell to the Milwaukee Brewers the following day and it marked the start of a historic slide.
Despite dropping 16 of 17 games, which included an MLB-worst 11-game losing streak, the Dodgers never lost their lead in the NL West or position atop overall standings. It did however, allow the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Washington Nationals to close the gap.
While the Dodgers were mired in their skid, the Indians ripped off 22 consecutive wins. Ultimately, Los Angeles obtained home-field advantage through the World Series over the weekend.
With a handful of days to hold workouts and prepare for the NLDS, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed confidence the team has put its rough patch behind them, according to Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“I think the troubles are over,” Roberts said. “I think the quality of baseball has been better. We know our best baseball is yet to come.”
While the merit and value of momentum heading into the postseason has been debunked by several examples, the Dodgers can lean on a modest two-game winning streak and an 8-2 record over their final 10 games.
What’s more, the team got to the finish line — in terms of the regular season — in good health. Corey Seager produced a three-hit game on Sunday, which was his first such effort since Aug. 23.
Seager has maintained his balky right elbow does not affect him at the plate and that he simply needed to find a rhythm, which he said began to come around during the final week’s worth of games.
The 2017 Dodgers set the record for most wins (57) at Dodger Stadium in a single season and won the most games (104) in Los Angeles franchise history. But it will ultimately mean little if Roberts is unable to guide the team to their first World Series since 1988.
