The Los Angeles Dodgers have been here before. On Friday night they celebrated a fifth consecutive National League West title. Prior to their 2013-2017 run, the team had never won the division more than three times in a row.
They’re the first to win five consecutive division titles since the Philadelphia Phillies sat atop the NL East from 2007-2011. But whereas the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, the Dodgers’ dominance in the NL West has not yielded the same result.
Nonetheless, the team reveled in their accomplishment, even if it came later than expected. “We can’t take this for granted,” Kenley Jansen said. “We’ve won the division five times in a row, that’s a long time.”
Jansen has been with the Dodgers for each of their five consecutive playoff berths. He re-signed during the offseason with a goal of helping lead the team to their first World Series since 1988.
“This is step one. We’re desperate for that ring,” Jansen said as champagne was flying on and around him. “We’re going to try and get that ring this year.”
Jansen’s sentiment was echoed by everyone from Clayton Kershaw to rookie Cody Bellinger. The players all stressed the importance of remaining focused over the next week, particularly with the Dodgers still battling for the best overall record and home-field advantage through the World Series.
