The Los Angeles Dodgers are well on their way to a 12th consecutive playoff appearance. They hold a three-and-a-half game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres in the National League West after their recent sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite their division lead and 99.4% chance of making the playoffs, manager Dave Roberts has sent a warning to his team.
“We still control our own fate,” Roberts said to Doug Padilla of the Associated Press. “The thing for us is to continue to play good baseball. We won three this series but you peel back the curtain and situationally we weren’t good. For us to make it a game today, shouldn’t happen.”
The Dodgers are just 7-6 since July 26 while the Diamondbacks and Padres have the two best records in the National League respectively. The sweep must settle any issues they have and start a solid run down the stretch to clinch the division. That will immediately be put to the test in a four-game series against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers starting on Monday.
With one of the best teams on paper in franchise history, not winning the division would be quite disappointing. Even if they don't, the team and fans should not be concerned about the Dodgers' chances in the playoffs. With three superstars at the top of their lineup, expect Los Angeles to play deep into October.
Dodgers' chances in the playoffs
Whether or not the Dodgers win the NL West, they will be one of the favorites to win the pennant. With Mookie Betts expected back soon and Shohei Ohtani working towards his third Most Valuable Player award, the Dodgers have set themselves up to advance in the playoffs again.
The recent struggles in October have been well documented. They are 1-6 in the last two seasons in the playoffs including a sweep at the hands of the Diamondbacks last season. Both of those seasons saw them finishing first in the division. With Ohtani joining the team, they expect to get to the World Series in year one.
The good news for the Dodgers is that the Philadelphia Phillies have struggled of late as well. While they are not in danger of blowing their division lead, they have gone 7-14 since the All-Star break. That is the worst mark in the National League. This is undoubtedly part of the reason Roberts is calling out his team after their recent sweep.
If the Dodgers can put together a great final third of the season, they will be in a good position to return to the World Series. The Phillies have holes and those have shown themselves this month. Roberts is pushing his team to fix their flaws now so they can be firing on all cylinders if they meet Philadelphia in the National League Championship Series.
The Dodgers do control their own destiny. They have a late-August series in Arizona and host the Padres in their penultimate set. Wins in those series will earn them the division title and the bye once again and set up a playoff run that goes through Dodgers Stadium.
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