The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched the best record in Major League Baseball for the 2022 season and will have home-field advantage through the World Series. They currently have a franchise-record 109 wins with five games left to play.
The Dodgers had already won the National League West for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons and shortly after they guaranteed themselves a bye in the Wild Card round. Following that, they clinched the best record in the NL, which guaranteed to them home-field advantage throughout the NL Championship Series.
Before clinching the best record in baseball, the only team left in contention for the top seed throughout the playoffs was the Houston Astros, who entered Friday with 102 wins. The Astros lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, which eliminated them from potentially catching the Dodgers in the standings.
If the two clubs would have finished with the same record, the tiebreaker would have been their intradivisional records.
Since starting their reign over the NL West in 2013, this is only the second time the Dodgers have secured the top seed in MLB. They previously did so in 2017 and 2020, while reaching the World Series both seasons and winning it once.
On Oct. 11, the Dodgers will begin the NLDS by hosting the winner of the Wild Card Series that will be between the second-place club in the NL East, Atlanta Braves or New York Mets, and winner of the second Wild Card spot, which is likely to be the San Diego Padres.
As it currently stands, the Braves and Padres would face off in the best-of-three Wild Card Series to determine who will advance to face the Dodgers.
If the Dodgers advance to the NLCS, Game 1 at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18. If they advance to the World Series, Game 1 will be at Chavez Ravine on Friday, Oct. 28.
Freddie Freeman credits Dodgers pitching for franchise win record
While the Dodgers’ ultimate goal is to win the World Series, and there will be a lot of disappointment if they don’t achieve that, Freddie Freeman believes setting the franchise record still has a lot of meaning regardless of what happens in the postseason, and credited the pitching staff for allowing them to accomplish it.
“That’s a lot of wins if you really think about it,” Freeman said. “A lot of good things and a lot of good things have to happen from a lot of guys. Not just 26 guys, it has to be 40 to 45 guys that have to contribute to be able to do that.
“If you think about it, it’s pitching. Our pitching has been absolutely phenomenal all season long. They gave us a chance. We haven’t done really well with runners in scoring position the last couple days, and they put up zeros all day until we got one in.
“Our pitching has been incredible. Pitching is the reason you win that many games and championships. We’ve been doing it all year.”
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