With the rubber game of a hotly contested series versus the Padres hanging in the balance, the Dodgers bested their division rival by a score of 7-2 — thus clinching the NL West for the Boys in Blue. In the process, the Dodgers also garnered one of the top two seeds in the National League. This will enable them to have a bye, and essentially a week of rest before they play their first postseason game a week from Saturday.
San Diego pitcher Joe Musgrove held the Dodgers scoreless through the first six innings of the game. In the 7th, LA exploded — scoring five runs courtesy of a number of big hits. Catcher Will Smith clubbed a 2-run HR to tie the game. Once Tanner Scott was brought into the action, LA teed off on him. An Enrique Hernandez pinch-hit single was followed by a rare catcher’s interference call on Andy Pages. Shohei Ohtani then stepped up and drove in the go-ahead run. The Dodgers didn’t look back from there, and the onslaught later included a monster 2-run HR by Pages in the 8th.
That’s not to say the game went off without a hitch. In the 8th inning, Freddie Freeman was running out a ball to first base. Trying to the pitcher to the bag, he lunged for the base before losing his balance. In the process, Freeman appeared to have badly rolled his ankle. After being on the ground for some time, he was helped off the field sporting a considerable limp. He did not return to action from that point on. In the clubhouse after the game during the celebrations, Freeman was seen walking with one crutch and a big boot on his injured foot.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, he’ll have over a week to rest. With this upcoming series in Colorado not meaning much, LA already announced he’s going to stay home and continue treatment. The Dodgers acknowledged it being a sprained ankle, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of concern moving forward.
It will be interesting to see who the Dodgers face. As of Friday morning, LA has the best record in all of baseball (95-64). The Dodgers are 1.0 games ahead of the Phillies for the National League lead. Getting the top seed with home-field advantage throughout the postseason would be ideal all things considered. LA heads to Colorado for three versus the Rockies. Philadelphia finishes in the nation’s capital versus the feisty Nationals.
Should the Dodgers remain as the top team in the NL, they’ll likely face the winner of the Wild Card round between the Padres and one of the Mets-Braves-Diamondbacks. Should LA finish second, a possible opponent includes the Brewers and one of the aforementioned teams above.
