How the Dodgers captured their division

The Los Angeles Dodgers have returned to champion status, for now, in the National League West Division. Last season, the Dodgers contended for the division title until the last game of the season against the San Francisco Giants. Ultimately, they fell short for the division crown, however the Dodgers did advance further in the season than their NL West rivals by winning a wild card game and eliminating the Giants in the postseason.

Manager Dave Roberts knew how important it was to regain the NL West title as part of his priority checklist. “We weren’t defending National League West champions. That was first on our list,” Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts stated, “It’s something we should enjoy and be proud of, and get back to work for more to come, but it’s quite the accomplishment.”

Starting Pitcher, Clayton Kershaw was flawless in the Dodgers’ 4 -0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks by pitching 7 innings, allowing 0 earned runs, and 5 strikeouts. Kershaw captured his 8th win on the season and additionally gave the Dodgers their MLB leading 98th win of the season to clinch the NL West. The Dodgers hitters came alive as the team combined to produce 9 hits, 4 runs with 3 homeruns for the game. This did cap off the second consecutive shutout by Dodgers in Arizona.

Now that the first priority has been accomplished on manager Dave Roberts’ checklist, postseason success seems to be the next stepping-stone to achieving another World Series championship in the 2020’s for the Los Angeles Dodgers.