The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Miami Marlins with an 8-4 victory on Tuesday, and the win represented another milestone for the organization.
It was the Dodgers’ 90th win of the season, placing them just behind the Philadelphia Phillies (91 vwins) for the most victories in MLB. It also marked the 11th consecutive full season the Dodgers have won at least 90 games in a season.
The last time the Dodgers did not win at least 90 games came in the 2012 season when they won just 86 games. From 2005 to 2012, the Dodgers won 90 or more games just one time, which came during the 2009 season when they won 95.
In addition, the Dodgers have a magic number of one to clinch a playoff spot for the 12th consecutive season. The only year they didn’t win 90 games during their postseason stretch came during the shortened 2020 season when they won 43 of 60 games, giving them their best winning percentage in a season of their franchise history and putting them on pace for 116 over a full season.
The Dodgers’ impressive run is not lost on manager Dave Roberts, who has been their skipper for the last nine seasons, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“It’s quite the accomplishment. I don’t really appreciate how fortunate we have been, how good we have been,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But when you look at it like that, it’s pretty impressive. It’s one of the best organizations in baseball as far as consistency of winning. We’ve had to go through our fair share of adversities and still win 90 games and being on the verge of clinching a postseason berth, you can’t take it for granted.”
The Dodgers would clinch a playoff spot the next time they win a game or the New York Mets or Atlanta Braves lose a game. That would guarantee they finish no lower than a Wild Card spot. As for the National League West race, they lead the San Diego Padres by 3.5 games and hold a magic number of seven over them entering play on Thursday.
Over the last 12 years, the Dodgers have gone 1,121-712, good for a .612 win percentage. No other team has a win percentage higher than .562, which is the New York Yankees with a 1,029-803 record.
That win percentage translates to the Dodgers averaging 99 wins per season over that stretch while the Yankees have averaged 91 as the second place team. The next closest NL team is the St. Louis Cardinals at .544, or an 88 win average.
The Dodgers run of dominance is something unheard of in modern sports, but it has coincided with mixed results in the playoffs. The Dodgers have gone 53-50 in October play over that stretch with more wins than any NL team, but their win percentage ranks ninth of the 25 teams to make the postseason over that time.
However, they are one of just two teams with more than 50 games played, checking in tied with the Astros as both have played in 103 postseason games since 2013. The Astros have won 62 of those games, but of course, also have the cheating scandal lingering over their heads from multiple seasons.
Dodgers streak of 100-win seasons in danger
Unfortunately, when the Dodgers lost their series opener against the Marlins, it put them on the brink of not reaching 100 wins this season. That would snap a streak of three consecutive years that the Dodgers have won 100 or more games and four consecutive full seasons, which made them the only team in MLB history to accomplish that.
The streak began when the Dodgers won a then-franchise record 106 games in 2019. They matched that mark two years later before setting a new Dodgers record with 111 wins in 2022.
The Dodgers at one point appeared well on their way to reaching 100 wins this season, but injuries derailed them down the stretch. Specifically in the starting rotation, with Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Gavin Stone all being sidelined over recent weeks.
Now they are just one loss from having a maximum potential of 99 wins this season.
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