The Los Angeles Dodgers guaranteed themselves one of the top two records among division winners to clinch a spot in the 2022 National League Division Series. Last year, the Dodgers began the playoffs in the Wild Card Game due to the San Francisco Giants snapping their streak of NL West division titles.
The Giants then had home-field advantage in their first ever postseason matchup with the Dodgers, only to lose Game 5 at Oracle Park.
Now NL West champions for a ninth time in the past 10 seasons and assured a top-two record in the league, the Dodgers will host Game 1 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, October 11.
Game 2 of the NLDS is set to be played the following night, and if necessary, the series would return to Dodger Stadium for Game 5 on Sunday, Oct. 16.
Even with the NL West wrapped up and bye in the first round of the postseason secured, the Dodgers still are playing for the top seed in the league and home-field advantage through the World Series as well.
The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the best record in the NL is six, and it’s 10 have home-field advantage for the entire postseason.
Who will the Dodgers play in the NLDS?
With MLB’s new expanded postseason format, the Dodgers are guaranteed to play one winner from the best-of-3 Wild Card round. If they maintain the best record in the NL, that would be the No. 4 or 5 seed in the bracket.
The current NL standings have the Dodgers due to face the San Diego Padres or Atlanta Braves. However, the Braves are in a dead heat with the New York Mets in the NL East.
The MLB postseason format does not call for reseeding even if the No. 6 team were to complete an upset in the Wild Card Series.
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