The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched home-field advantage throughout the National League Championship Series on Tuesday night for the first time since 2009. They received help from the Philadelphia Phillies, who handed the Washington Nationals a loss.
What’s more, the Dodgers benefitted from the Cleveland Indians falling to the Minnesota Twins, and now have a 2.5-game lead for the best record in baseball. That would guarantee them homefield in the World Series. Los Angeles leads the Houston Astros by 3.5 games.
Had the Dodgers and Nationals finished with the same record, the tiebreaker broke in Washington’s favor. Splitting their six-game season series meant next looking at intradivision records.
The Nationals are 47-28 against the NL East, while the Dodgers are 38-34 against the NL West. Should the two teams meat in the playoffs, it would not come until the NLCS.
Last October, they played to five games in the NL Division Series, with the Dodgers winning an elimination-game thriller at Nationals Park.
Dodger Stadium will host Game 1 of the NLDS on Friday, Oct. 6, with the NL Wild Card winner serving as the road team. Should Los Angeles advance, Game 1 of the NLCS will be played at Chavez Ravine on Saturday, Oct. 14. Tickets to all potential NLDS and NLCS home games sold out on the first day they went on sale.
Also on Tuesday, the Dodgers broke the Los Angeles franchise record with their 56th home win of the season. The 1953 Brooklyn team, who won the NL pennant, holds the organization’s all-time record with 60 home wins.
