The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the National League West by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, marking the 12th time they have won the division since 2013.
The Dodgers previously secured a spot in the postseason for the 13th consecutive season. That tied the 1997-2005 New York Yankees for the second-longest streak in MLB history, and trails only the 1991-2005 Atlanta Braves, who had 14 straight playoff appearances.
For Blake Snell, it is his first trip to the postseason since signing a five-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers during the offseason.
“It’s amazing. Winning a division is a good feeling, but winning a World Series is the goal,” Snell said during the celebration. “That’s the goal for me, that’s the goal for the team. But this is amazing. I’m going to enjoy this.”
Snell is heading to the playoffs for the fourth time in his career, having reached October baseball twice with the Tampa Bay Rays and once as a member of the San Diego Padres.
At the time of his signing, Snell said he was looking forward to winning the World Series with the Dodgers. To this point, he has only pitched in one Fall Classic, which coincidentally came against L.A. in 2020.
Snell missed the majority of his first season with the Dodgers due to left shoulder inflammation, but has looked the part of a two-time Cy Young Award winner since returning in early August.
In nine starts since being reinstated from the 60-day injured list, Snell owns a 2.41 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 68 strikeouts and 18 walks over 52.1 innings pitched.
Snell is 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 1.26 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine in 11 overall starts this season. He held the Diamondbacks to one run over six innings in his final start of the regular season on Wednesday.
Blake Snell part of Dodgers postseason rotation
After being a key contributor down the stretch, Snell is now set to be part of the Dodgers postseason rotation. It’s a group that should also include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
Snell is 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.25 WHIP and 11.3 strikeouts per nine in 12 career playoff appearances (10 starts).
It’s not yet known which game in the Wild Card Series the Dodgers will have Snell start.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
