LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to assure themselves of their seventh consecutive National League West championship today.
Either a win at Baltimore or a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the New York Mets would assure the Dodgers of the division championship. The Dodgers enter Tuesday's play with a 17 1/2-game lead over Arizona. Counting Tuesday's games, the Dodgers have 17 games left to play, one more than the Diamondbacks.
This would be the earliest the Dodgers have clinched a divisional championship, both by the schedule -- 146 games -- or calendar. The 1977 Dodgers assured themselves of the title in their 151st game. The 2013 team assured itself of the division on Sept. 19.
The Dodgers streak of six consecutive division championships is the third longest since Major League Baseball began divisional play in 1969. The Atlanta Braves won 11 consecutive National League East titles from 1995-2005 and the New York Yankees won nine consecutive American League East titles from 1998-2006.
The Dodgers still have something to play for after clinching the division title -- having MLB's best record and the home field advantage in the World Series accompanying it. With a 93-52 record, the Dodgers trail the Houston Astros and Yankees by two games.
The Dodgers run of division titles has resulted in just two National League pennants -- in 2017 and 2018 -- and no World Series championships. The Dodgers have not won a World Series since 1988.
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