The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out the regular season with a 10-3 win to complete a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, but it wasn’t enough to force a potential tie-breaking Game 163 as the San Francisco Giants routed the San Diego Padres to clinch their first National League West title since 2012.
The Dodgers nonetheless tied a franchise record with 106 wins this season, which was last achieved by the 2019 team. That set a new MLB record for most victories by a team without a division title.
L.A. surpassed the 1909 Chicago Cubs and 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers, who each won 104 games. Though, both of those teams finished in second place before divisions were established in 1969.
The Dodgers also became just the 11th team to win at least 100 games and not clinch a division title, joining the 2018 New York Yankees, 2001 Oakland Athletics, 1993 Giants, 1980 Baltimore Orioles, 1962 Dodgers, 1961 Detroit Tigers, 1954 Yankees, 1942 Dodgers, 1915 Tigers and 1909 Cubs.
“For the regular season, I’m really proud of our guys,” manager Dave Roberts said after the Dodgers’ regular season finale. “To go through what we went through and win a lot of ballgames, it was a great regular season.
“You have to give credit to the Giants. They had an even better regular season. As perennial, annual National League West champions as we are, they took it from us.
“I don’t think we just gave it away. Our guys didn’t waver all year. It’s not the path we planned out, but now our focus turns to Wednesday and winning a ballgame.”
The Dodgers’ 106 wins marks the most by a defending World Series champion. They enter Wednesday’s NL Wild Card Game as overwhelming favorites against a St. Louis Cardinals team that recently strung together 17 consecutive wins.
NL Cy Young Award frontrunner Max Scherzer will start for the Dodgers and be opposed by longtime Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. The one-game playoff will be exclusively broadcast on TBS, with first pitch at Dodger Stadium set for 5:10 p.m. PT.
Dodgers franchise record for longest winning streak at Dodger Stadium
The Dodgers ended the regular season on a seven-game winning streak and also by taking 15 in a row at Dodger Stadium. That set a new franchise record for most consecutive victories at Dodger Stadium and the overall longest home winning streak in the modern era (since 1901).
Brooklyn won 22 home games in a row during the 1899 season, and had a 15-game winning streak at home the following year.
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