The Los Angeles Dodgers inched closer to clinching the National League West on Wednesday due to the San Diego Padres suffering a loss, but their 13th consecutive postseason appearance has been locked into starting in the Wild Card Series.
That’s a byproduct of the Philadelphia Phillies clinching a first-round bye and spot in the NL Division Series for a second year in a row. The Phillies guaranteed themselves a spot in the NLDS behind an emphatic 11-1 win over the Miami Marlins that saw them hit a franchise-record eight home runs.
The Phillies had previously clinched the NL East title by defeating the Dodgers on Sept. 15. That sent them into a celebration in the visiting clubhouse at Dodger Stadium as the Phillies won the division title at the earliest point in franchise history.
Philadelphia additionally clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dodgers in that series, though it never came into play.
Still up for grabs in the NL postseason bracket is the No. 1 seed. That currently belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers, who remain 2.5 games ahead of the Phillies even with their loss at Petco Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The Brewers have three games remaining on their schedule, while the Phillies still have four to play. The Brewers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NL bracket with their next win, or if the Phillies lose one game.
Regardless of how that unfolds, both teams will host Game 1 of an NLDS on Saturday, Oct. 4, at their respective stadiums.
Phillies clinch NLDS, what does it mean for Dodgers?
At best, the Dodgers will have the third record among NL division winners. That puts them in the Wild Card scenario, which currently comes as the No. 3 seed.
Should the Dodgers remain positioned there, which winning the NL West would guarantee, that would amount to hosting a best-of-three Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium.
Game 1 of the Wild Card Series is Tuesday, Sept. 30. Game 2 is the following night, and if necessary, a Game 3 would be played Thursday, Oct. 2.
While the Dodgers had closed the gap on the Phillies in the NL standings heading into their matchup earlier this month, manager Dave Roberts said the team wasn’t focused on chasing down the No. 2 seed and first-round playoff bye.
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