The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their franchise record by clinching a fifth consecutive National League West title. They entered Friday night in a bit of a race with the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks, whose game lagged behind and did not go final before the last out was recorded at Dodger Stadium.
Prior to 2015 the Dodgers had never won three straight division titles. They’ve reached the postseason in five straight years for the first time in franchise history. The Dodgers are the first team to ever win the NL West five consecutive seasons since the divisional era began in 1969.
The Philadelphia Phillies were the last team to sit atop their division for a stretch of five years, claiming the NL East crown from 2007-2011. The Cleveland Indians (1995-1999) and Oakland Athletics (1971-1975) also won their respective division five years in a row.
The Atlanta Braves hold the record with 14 straight division titles (1991-2005), while the New York Yankees are second with nine (1998-2006).
Overall, the Dodgers have won 16 NL West titles. They’ve also posted five straight seasons with at least 90 wins since Brooklyn did so six years in a row (1951-1956).
Dave Roberts joins Tommy Lasorda (1977-1978) as the only Dodgers managers to lead the team to two division titles in their first two seasons as a Major League skipper.
This season has seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows. The Dodgers bested their remarkable stretch from the 2013 season and became the first team to go on a 43-7 run since the 1912 New York Giants.
However, Los Angeles also became the first team to win 15 of 16 and lose 15 of 16 games in the same year. Their 11-game losing streak was the longest in franchise history since 1944.
The Dodgers once were 50 games above .500 and led the NL West by 21 games. Though the Arizona Diamondbacks got to within single digits, they never truly threatened to catch the Dodgers in the division standings.
Home-field advantage throughout the World Series does hang in the balance, however. What is cemented is the Dodgers will host Game 1 of the NL Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Oct. 6.
Their opponent will likely be the NL Wild Card winner, but that could change if the Washington Nationals catch Los Angeles in the standings. The entire 2017 postseason schedule can be viewed here.
During their current stretch, the Dodgers have clinched the NL West against the Diamondbacks (2013), Giants (2014, 2015 and 2017), and Colorado Rockies (2016), and for just the second time at home. This year’s celebration came on Lasorda’s 90th birthday.
