Dodgers Clinch 5th Consecutive NL West Title

The Los Angeles Dodgers have just clinched their fifth consecutive NL West title with a 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.

It wasn't as easy as it should have been. On August 25th, the Dodgers were 91-36 with a 21 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks and a magic number of 14. The Dodgers were on pace to clinch the division in early September. But the Dodgers went on a major skid losing 16 out of 17 games including an 11-game losing streak. Since August 25th, the Dodgers have gone 7-20.

To put this into perspective while the Dodgers had a magic number of 14 on August 25th, the Washington Nationals' magic number was 24. The Nats would clinch the NL East on September 10th. On that day, the Dodgers magic number was 11 and their lead over the D'Backs had been reduced to 9 games.

Few in Chavez Ravine could've imagined it would take until Tommy Lasorda's 90th birthday to finally clinch the NL West. The Dodgers still have the best record in MLB. But if they continue to play they've played over the past month they won't be long for the NLDS against the NL Wild Card winner be it against the D'Backs, the Rockies (and possibly the St. Louis Cardinals or Milwaukee Brewers).

But the Dodgers still have Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, Justin Turner and Kenley Jansen. Regardless of their recent setbacks, the Dodgers will be favored to win their first NL pennant since 1988.