Dodgers win NL West…10th time in last 11 seasons atop division

The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) National League (NL) West pennant.

The Dodgers defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 6-2 in 11 innings on Sunday (July 17) at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, USA.

With the win, the Dodgers improved to 90-57 (.612 winning percentage) and extended their lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks (78-72 (.520)) to 13.5 games.

Even if the Dodgers lose all 15 of their remaining regular-season games and Arizona wins all 12 of its remaining games, the Dodgers will finish first in the division because of their head-to-head record.

With the win, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the postseason and won their second straight district title. The Dodgers have also won 10 district titles in the last 11 seasons, making them a perennial contender.

The only time the Dodgers have missed out on a district title in the last 11 years was in 2021. That season, the Dodgers finished second, one game behind the San Francisco Giants (0.654) despite posting a .660 winning percentage. The Giants led all 30 MLB teams in winning percentage that year, while the Dodgers were second.

Neither team scored a single run in regulation that day. The Dodgers got four scoreless innings from franchise star Clayton Kershaw, followed by three scoreless innings from Emmitt Sheehan to shut down the Seattle offense.

However, the Dodgers’ offense couldn’t get on the board until the top of the sixth inning against Bryce Miller, and remained silent after Miller went down.

After trading runs in the 10th inning, the Dodgers broke through in the top of the 11th. With runners on first and second, Max Muncy singled up the middle to score one run, and an Ahmed Rosario walk and a Chris Taylor single to left scored two more.메이저사이트

The Dodgers added two more runs on two more hits to extend their lead to 6-1. The Dodgers gave up a run in their final at-bat on defense, but did not allow the comeback.

The loss dropped Seattle to the fourth wild card spot in the American League. Ryu’s former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, moved into third place, a half-game back of Seattle.