MIAMI – In what has become a fall custom, the Los Angeles Dodgers are heading to the playoffs.
The Dodgers clinched their 12th consecutive postseason berth Thursday with a 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins on the same night that star slugger Shohei Ohtani homered three times and stole two bases to become the first player in major league history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
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The magic number for the NL West-leading Dodgers to clinch the NL West dropped to six. They hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in their pursuit of the NL's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs. They lead the San Diego Padres by four games in the division.
The New York Yankees and Brewers became the first teams to clinch playoff berths on Wednesday. The Cleveland Guardians secured a playoff spot earlier Thursday.
Los Angeles has won at least 90 games in each of the last 11 162-game seasons. The Dodgers' only non-division title during the span was in 2021, when they won 107 games and finished one game behind NL West champion San Francisco.
However, the Dodgers have only one World Series title during that stretch. They won it all during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Ohtani doubled twice, singled and drove in a franchise-best 10 runs on Thursday. He nearly hit for the cycle but was thrown out third trying to stretch his second double into a triple in the third.
Ohtani, who signed a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Dodgers last December, is heading to the postseason for the first time in his career after never making it during his six years with the Los Angeles Angels.
“I changed teams this year and my goal has always been to make it to the playoffs,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “It is something I really worked hard at, and I’m really happy that we were able to make it.”
Added his teammate Mookie Betts: “That’s when we’ll see the best Shohei, I think, when he gets in that atmosphere.”
Thursday's postgame celebration in the clubhouse was brief. After a quick Champagne toast, the Dodgers turned their attention to what's next — a trip back to Los Angeles, where they will host Colorado on Friday.
“We've got to get West,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And so just kind of understanding that what we're trying to play for, teams that are kind of right on our heels, we've got a lot of work to do.”
The Dodgers will host three-game series against the Rockies and Padres in their last homestand before closing the season with a three-game series at Colorado.
“The goal is to win the last game in October," Roberts said, "but you've still got to enjoy moments. And it's been a grind of a season, a lot of challenges. With that, when things happen like this tonight, you've got to enjoy it.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB