The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the National League West at one of the earliest dates in franchise history and after suffering a loss the following night, won seven of 10 games. On Tuesday, they secured home-field advantage through the NL Championship Series.
It marks a second time in three seasons the Dodgers will finish atop the NL standings. They remain alive in the chase for the best record in baseball, though are trailing the Houston Astros by two games and have the New York Yankees wedged in between.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has previously acknowledged the best record is certainly a goal for his team, but not at the expense of health. That remains somewhat of a concern, as Joe Kelly is on the mend from an unspecified injury, Max Muncy just returned from quad tightness, and Rich Hill is working to overcome an MCL strain.
As the final week of the regular season winds to a close, Roberts highlighted the level of play he hopes the Dodgers will have, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I want to see a ramp up in focus an intensity. You look back at the last 18 games, I think we’re 12-6, so we’re doing our fair share of winning baseball games. But I think really just a sense of urgency is something I’m going to be looking for.”
With their win in the series opener against the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers are now 13-6 in September. It trails only the Milwaukee Brewers (18-4) for best record in the NL during that span. Of course, the Brewers have had more of an impetus this month as they pursue a postseason berth.
Beyond looking for their focus to increase this week, Roberts also continues to evaluate players for potential roles in the postseason. Specifically with the pitching staff and in the bullpen, where there’s some uncertainty amid Kelly’s injury and Kenley Jansen’s struggles this year.
When the Dodgers were in a similar position record-wise in 2017, they closed out the regular season with an 8-2 record en route to making the franchise’s first trip to the World Series in 29 years.
