With just over a week remaining in the regular season, the National League West race between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants remains as tight as ever.
The Dodgers pulled to within one game of first place on Thursday with their comeback win against the Colorado Rockies and the Giants’ extra-inning loss to the San Diego Padres.
Both teams have already clinched a postseason berth, but the winner of the division will get a huge advantage in avoiding the win-or-go-home NL Wild Card Game while also likely solidifying home-field advantage throughout October.
Clayton Kershaw believes the Dodgers essentially being in playoff mode a week early can help them in more ways than one, regardless of which team wins the division, via SportsNet LA:
“I think it’s great. In the last however many years, we really haven’t been in a fight to win the West, other than that one year against Colorado. So I think it’s good. I think it kind of propels you into the postseason regardless of what happens. You’re not going to have that last few games lull, where the games don’t really matter. Every game really matters right now, so I think that’s a good thing. I think competing to the end will be huge for us. Whatever happens, we’ll be ready to go.”
As Kershaw noted, the Dodgers are not usually in a position of chasing teams this late in the season. Since the start of their unprecedented streak of winning eight consecutive NL West titles, L.A. has clinched the division no later than Sept. 29 on all but one occasion.
The lone exception was during the 2018 season, which required a tie-breaking Game 163 against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers won that contest and rode their momentum to the World Series, where they were defeated by the Boston Red Sox.
A similar scenario could play out this season with the Giants, although such a game would be played at Oracle Park due to San Francisco winning 10 of 19 games against L.A. in the regular season.
Scherzer would start for Dodgers in potential Game 163 or Wild Card
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Max Scherzer would be tabbed to start a potential Game 163 against the Giants or the Wild Card.
“No, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Roberts said of the possibility. “I think he’s the best pitcher in baseball.”
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