Daily Clips

September 23, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017 DODGERS.COM: TGI 5 Day in LA: Dodgers clinch, celebrate!—Ken Gurnick Bellinger's blast clinches NL West for Dodgers- Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft Ryu gets another shot to make postseason case—Joshua Thornton Dodgers return home looking to clinch NL West—Chris Haft 'World Series or bust' for playoff-bound Dodgers—Ken Gurnick Bellinger sets NL rookie record with 39th HR- Joshua Thornton Rich Hill didn't know how to react after hitting his first double in a decade- Andrew Mearns Dodgers celebrate Lasorda's 90th birthday- Ken Gurnick Hernandez, Dodgers helping Puerto Rico- Joshua Thornton Virus, not hand, keeps Turner sidelined- Joshua Thornton Let's wish a happy 90th birthday to Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda- Eric Chesterton LA TIMES: It's a little too soon for the Dodgers to feel all bubbly—Dylan Hernandez Dodgers clinch fifth consecutive NL West title with 4-2 victory over Giants—Kevin Baxter Dodgers still trying to work things out for postseason- Kevin Baxter OC REGISTER: Whicker: Dodgers had a right to party after 5th consecutive NL West title—Mark Whicker Dodgers clinch 5th consecutive NL West title as Cody Bellinger sets rookie record- Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Protective nets expanding their reach around baseball after scary incident—J.P. Hoornstra ESPN: In winning the NL West, Dodgers finally get their party started—Arash Markazi Dodgers down Giants, celebrate fifth straight NL West title—Associated Press Dodgers' Cody Bellinger sets NL rookie home-run record with 39th—Associated Press Carlos Beltran donates $1M, seeks funds for Puerto Rico relief efforts- Enrique Rojas Big names on hand as Dodgers wish Tommy Lasorda a happy 90th- Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA: Dodgers clinch National League West for 5th straight season—Eric Stephen Dodgers will open NL Division Series at home on October 6—Eric Stephen Dodgers magic number to clinch best record in NL is 4—Eric Stephen Cody Bellinger breaks NL record for home runs by a rookie- Eric Stephen Dodgers activate Brandon McCarthy, place Josh Ravin on 60-day DL- Eric Stephen Corey Seager returns to Dodgers lineup, Justin Turner out with illness- Eric Stephen Rich Hill to make Dodgers’ 100th start by LHP in 2017- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER: Dodgers celebrate fifth straight NL West title—Rowan Kavner A symbolic game for one of the most impactful rookies in Dodger history- Cary Osborne Notebook: McCarthy reinstated, Hernández thinking of home- Rowan Kavner Seager returns, Turner out with an illness- Rowan Kavner LADF: Dodgers supporting those affected by recent natural disasters- Erin Edwards Dodger Stadium food specials: Sept. 22–27- Rowan Kavner YAHOO SPORTS: Dodgers continue NL West dominance with fifth straight division title—Mark Townsend CBS SPORTS: Dodgers clinch NL West for fifth straight season- Matt Snyder NBC SPORTS: Cody Bellinger Gets the Party Started as Dodgers Defeat Giants For Fifth Consecutive N.L. West Crown- Michael Duarte BLEACHER REPORT: Dodgers Clinch NL West for 5th Straight Year to Earn Postseason Berth- Tim Daniels USA TODAY SPORTS: Los Angeles Dodgers clinch NL West division title- USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

DODGERS.COM TGI 5 Day in LA: Dodgers clinch, celebrate! By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- For the past month the Dodgers played like they had the division clinched. On Friday night, they finally did. It all came together fittingly on Tommy Lasorda's 90th birthday, a 4-2 win over the rival Giants at Dodger Stadium to become the first National League West team to win its division five consecutive seasons. "You have to celebrate a division title," Clayton Kershaw said, unwavering in his answer even while enduring a beer shower in the clubhouse bedlam. "For a lot of people, it could be the last time. That doesn't mean we don't know we've got more to do. And I can't see out of my right eye." Lasorda was better prepared than Kershaw. The Hall of Famer walked around the clubhouse, congratulating everybody, his eyes protected by goggles. Lasorda, Kershaw and Co. had plenty to celebrate from a season that saw the Dodgers play the best baseball in the game, and then some of the worst. While the on-field celebration was subdued, the 39-man roster utterly soaked the clubhouse, Guggenheim Management popping for French bubbles. "As talented of a group I've been around," said Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. "Extremely resilient group. The preparation, the work ethic, the way they go about their business every day is unparalleled to my exposure. So to have a chance tonight to celebrate and have that release and then tomorrow, focus, lock back in as we prep for October." When Friedman's Dodgers were good, which was most of the season, they were so good that some publications suggested they might be the best team ever. They had the best record in baseball by a mile, peaking at 55 games above .500. They had the best pitcher, the best home record, one of the best rookies, one of the best closers, the lowest pitching staff ERA and the most All-Stars in the league. "Ninety-eight wins at the start of the season, yeah, if you told me we'd have that with eight games to go, we'd be pretty excited about it," said general manager Farhan Zaidi. "We feel good about where we are and we have some games left to continue to get our groove as we have been the last few games. Great accomplishment." Zaidi's Dodgers embraced today's obsession with power by closing in on the franchise record for home runs, having already set a Dodgers record with six players slugging at least 20. They adjusted to consistently brief outings from starting pitchers with a wave of hard-throwing relievers. They went through a stunning stretch from June 7 to Aug. 25 going 56-11, beating up mostly on clubs with losing records. But they also went through a stretch from Aug. 26 to Sept. 11 when they lost 16 of

17 as the quality of opposition toughened. If they win the World Series, they will be the first team to do it in a season that included both 11-game winning and losing streaks. They overcame early injuries to Andre Ethier, Andrew Toles and Adrian Gonzalez with the accelerated arrival of Cody Bellinger, who opened the season at Triple-A and should close it with a runaway win as NL Rookie of the Year, swatting Hall of Famer Mike Piazza's name off the top of the list for the franchise rookie home run record. Bellinger follows in the footsteps of last year's unanimous Rookie of the Year, Corey Seager, who suffered no sophomore jinx. He has, however, suffered an unspecified elbow injury that might require offseason surgery to repair. He hasn't been the same player with it, nor has the club been the same team without him at full strength. But the Dodgers built an insurmountable lead in the good times that withstood the bad times. Alex Wood nearly turned into another Kershaw. Chris Taylor came out of nowhere to turn into another Justin Turner. Kenley Jansen redefined the closer role with multiple four-out saves. Yasiel Puig has become an offensive force again. Austin Barnes has earned added playing time behind the plate. Management manipulated the roster to keep the flow of fresh bodies coming. Manager Dave Roberts took a clubhouse filled with unselfish talent and kept them on task better than any other club. "We still have a lot of work to do," said Roberts, who joined Lasorda as the only Dodgers managers to finish first in their first two seasons. Bellinger's blast clinches NL West for Dodgers By Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers clinched a fifth consecutive National League West title Friday night, as Cody Bellinger set a National League rookie record with his 39th home run, a three-run shot, in a 4-2 win over the Giants at Dodger Stadium. Capping a night that began with a 90th birthday celebration for Hall of Fame icon Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers trimmed the magic number for the National League home-field advantage over Washington to four and are two games ahead of Cleveland for the best record in baseball at 98-56. "This is for you, Tommy. Happy birthday," manager Dave Roberts said during an on-field interview. "It's a special group of guys that never wavered, stayed focused and pulled through adversity and tonight we're going to celebrate." The 22-year-old Bellinger provided the sock, homering off losing Giants starter Jeff Samardzija (9-15). On the other end of the spectrum, 37-year-old Rich Hill (11-8) got the win, even driving in the other Dodgers run with his first double in a decade. Hill struck out nine in six innings. "Understanding what was at stake, I just wanted to bring my best effort," said Hill, a Trade Deadline acquisition last year who signed a three-year extension over the winter after battling back from independent ball. "I'm so thankful to the Dodgers to give me the opportunity to come back. The older you get, the more perspective you get on time. Time is fleeting and you never know when your time is

up and you have to take advantage of every single moment we have. Nights like tonight are not taken for granted." Kenley Jansen picked up save No. 40 despite allowing a ninth-inning homer to Pablo Sandoval, the third season Jansen has reached the 40-save mark. "I love the big fella," said Roberts. "'California Love' [Jansen's entry music] is my favorite song." "Congrats to them. They've had a tremendous year," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Across the board, they played really great baseball. ... They're well-deserved division champions." The Dodgers will open the best-of-five National League Division Series on Friday, Oct. 6, at home, against either the division winner with the third-best record (Washington or the NL Central champion) or the winner of the Wild Card Game, likely between Arizona and either Colorado, Milwaukee or St. Louis. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Once a decade: Hill, of all people, got the scoring started for the Dodgers with an RBI double, his first extra-base hit since 2007. Hill followed a double by Logan Forsythe, who had been 0-for-15 in his career against Samardzija, and Hill nearly tripped and fell as he rounded first and headed for second. Then he was thrown out at third on a head-first slide trying to advance on Chris Taylor's grounder to short. "I was just hoping I didn't trip and fall," said Hill. "I heard it's been 10 years. I bet I'm the only one in here that can say that." Taylor seeks 20/20: The game was tied in the bottom of the third inning, 1-1, when Taylor stole second and advanced to third on catcher Nick Hundley's throwing error. Samardzija then walked Corey Seager (hitless in his previous 11 at-bats) before Bellinger took him into the seats. It was Taylor's 18th stolen base to go with 21 homers. "Looking back on it, what leaves the worst taste in my mouth there was walking Seager [on a] 3-2 [count] and not making a competitive pitch there to get him to swing the bat," Samardzija said. "If he hits a homer there and it's 3-1, so be it. But to bring a hot Bellinger back to the plate with putting on Seager for free wasn't the best idea." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Bellinger broke the NL rookie home run record previously held by Wally Berger (1930) and Frank Robinson (1956). Mark McGwire holds the MLB record of 49 set in 1987. The Dodgers are the fourth club to finish first in five consecutive seasons in the divisional era. The last one was Philadelphia in 2003-07. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: San Francisco will give the start to Madison Bumgarner for Saturday's 6:10 p.m. PT rematch at Dodger Stadium. Bumgarner has dropped four consecutive decisions, his longest losing streak since he staggered to an 0-6 mark before winning a game in 2011. Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu gets the ball for Saturday night's 6:10 p.m. PT start. Ryu looks like a pitcher without a postseason role, as the Dodgers figure to go with four starters and he's not one of them. But because of arm operations the last two years, the club is reluctant to use him in relief.

Ryu gets another shot to make postseason case By Joshua Thornton With the National League West champion Dodgers still sorting out the details of their postseason pitching staff, Hyun-Jin Ryu will take the mound vs. the Giants on Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts hasn't made a decision on Ryu's postseason fate and said the southpaw won't make an abbreviated start, similar to Kenta Maeda's three-inning outing vs. the Phillies on Thursday. Ryu's next start after Saturday's would be his 24th this season, which would be the most since he started 26 games in 2014. He had season-ending shoulder surgery in 2015 and a season-ending elbow procedure in 2016. The left-hander has been solid for the Dodgers since June 17, going 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA along with 63 punchouts against 27 walks. Ryu tossed seven scoreless innings when he faced the Giants on July 30 and is 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 11 games vs. the Giants. San Francisco will give the ball to ace Madison Bumgarner, who will make his 13th start since returning from the disabled list. The lefty is 3-6 with a 3.66 ERA in his 12 starts since coming off the disabled list and will look to end a four-game losing streak. Things to know about this game • Bumgarner is 1-4 with a 3.24 ERA in his last eight starts vs. the Dodgers. • Left-handed hitters have a ground-ball rate of 57 percent against Ryu as a starter since the All-Star break. • Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig is 10-for-38 with two homers and three RBIs vs. Bumgarner. 'World Series or bust' for playoff-bound Dodgers By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- For the fifth consecutive year, the Dodgers have won the National League West. They can lock up home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason with any combination of Los Angeles wins and Washington losses totaling four. "We been winning for five years now, and I'm desperate for that ring, y'all," closer Kenley Jansen said, addressing the entire team in the clubhouse before Friday's celebration at Dodger Stadium. "Let's get it right. This is Step One." Five in a row is a dynasty for some franchises, but not for a team that hasn't won the World Series since 1988. For this year's Dodgers, clinching the division is as much a relief as an accomplishment. "Get it over with, get it out of the way, refocus and move on," shortstop Corey Seager said after Friday's 4-2 win over the Giants.

In the National League Division Series, the Dodgers will face either the winner of the NL Wild Card Game -- either the D-backs, Rockies, Brewers or Cardinals -- or the Cubs. Another potential postseason opponent is the Nationals, who they could face in the NLCS. The Dodgers were 3-3 against the Nationals this year and 4-2 against the Cubs. Washington has clinched the NL East, while Chicago has a five-game lead in the NL Central. Against the D-backs, who currently hold the top Wild Card spot, the Dodgers went 8-11 this year and had particular trouble against left-handed starter Robbie Ray (3-0, 2.27 ERA against L.A. this year). Against the Rockies, who currently hold the second Wild Card spot, the Dodgers are 7-9. They play a three-game series at Colorado on the final weekend of the regular season. The Brewers and Cardinals are also still in the Wild Card race. Against Milwaukee, the Dodgers went 3-3. They went 4-3 against St. Louis. The best-of-five NLDS is a 2-2-1 format, opening with games Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7; a travel day on Sunday, Oct. 8; Games 3 and 4 (if Game 4 is necessary) Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 9-10; a travel day Wednesday, Oct. 11; and a Game 5 (if necessary) on Thursday, Oct. 12. TBS will televise the series. The NL Championship Series begins Saturday, Oct. 14. With five home games remaining, the Dodgers are 53-23 at Dodger Stadium, the best home record in MLB and two wins shy of the Los Angeles record. But at 45-33, the Dodgers also have the second best road record in the NL behind the Nationals, who the Dodgers beat in last year's five-game NLDS without home-field advantage. "Everybody knows it's World Series or bust," said first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, putting Friday night's champagne party in perspective. Most current Dodgers hadn't been born yet, and ace Clayton Kershaw was still in diapers, the last time the Dodgers won the World Series in 1988. Kershaw is one of their biggest question marks entering the postseason, because so much is expected from the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner. And two consecutive seasons dealing with back injuries may have jeopardized Kershaw's title as best pitcher in baseball. Another big question mark is Seager, who has been playing through an unspecified elbow injury that could require offseason surgery. The Dodgers' latest injury is a bruised thumb suffered by third baseman Justin Turner on Thursday. Along with Kershaw not pitching like himself since his September return from the disabled list, Yu Darvish has been more erratic than the Dodgers had hoped after acquiring him to be the No. 2 starter. Alex Wood has shaken off a sternum injury to show glimpses of his All-Star first half, while veteran Rich Hill is liable to throw a perfect game any start. That leaves management turning to starter Kenta Maeda for right-handed relief, which leads to the real dilemma -- who sets up for Jansen, now that Pedro Baez, a mainstay for almost five seasons, seems to have lost it. Brandon Morrow could inherit the role, although the light usage of Jansen should refresh him for an October of multiple-innings appearances, at which he thrived last postseason.

Manager Dave Roberts also has lineup decisions at left field, second base and catcher. Curtis Granderson was acquired to play left, but his September has been suboptimal. Andre Ethier has made a late run after a serious injury, as he did last year. Enrique Hernandez starts in left against lefties. At catcher, Austin Barnes has encroached on Yasmani Grandal's playing time with a nice all-around season, while ageless Chase Utley has recently taken starts from Logan Forsythe in the second-base platoon. There will be difficult bench decisions, among those whether there's room to carry Gonzalez as a left-handed bat off the bench, especially with Ethier getting more playing time recently. Bellinger sets NL rookie record with 39th HR By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- With a three-run shot in the third inning of Friday's 4-2 win over the Giants, Dodgers sensation Cody Bellinger launched his 39th homer of the season, setting the single-season mark for home runs by a National League rookie. And just like that, another accolade to add to the presumed 2017 NL Rookie of the Year. Bellinger's record-setting home run was lost in the celebration of the Dodgers winning their fifth straight NL West title. As a child, Bellinger saw his father, Clay, celebrate three World Series championships with the Yankees. On Friday, inside the Dodgers' clubhouse, it was his turn, as the 21-year-old was drowned in champagne and beer by his teammates, so much that he had to run away during interviews with reporters. When the season started, Bellinger began in the Minors, hoping to be called up in September when the rosters expanded. Now he's an integral part of a Dodgers squad with aspirations of ending a 29-year championship drought. Amid a 9-11 start, the Dodgers called up Bellinger after an injury to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez; since then the club is 57-21 when he's in the lineup. Bellinger, who already owns the Dodgers' rookie home run record, broke a record that was held by Frank Robinson (1956) and Wally Berger (1930). The All-Star first baseman needs one more homer to become the third player in Major League history with 40 home runs in his age-21 season or younger. The only two players to accomplish that feat are Hall of Famers Eddie Mathews (47 homers in 1953) and Mel Ott (42 homers in 1929). "It's been awesome," Bellinger said about his rookie season. "I'm just trying to enjoy it as much as I can, that's for sure." His ascension has been well documented, becoming the fastest player to hit 21 homers and hitting for the cycle against the Marlins to become the first Dodgers rookie to accomplish the feat. "He's gone through a couple of mini-slumps," said president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "But he's come out of it really quickly and the work ethic where he has questions helped him get through those a lot quicker." Bellinger's next feat he would like to accomplish? Winning a championship.

"[My father] did this three or four times, so hopefully we can bring one here in L.A.," Bellinger said. Rich Hill didn't know how to react after hitting his first double in a decade By Andrew Mearns Signing Rich Hill was a prudent investment for the Dodgers, but while they enjoy his pitching, he added a bonus at the plate during their division-clinching 4-2 victory over the GIants on Friday night. It was definitely an unlikely contribution, as Hill had only managed three hits in 44 plate appearances beforehand all year long. Hill did his job on the mound by spinning six innings of one-run ball, fanning nine Giants batters along way. In the bottom of the third, though, he faced Jeff Samardzija with Logan Forsythe on second. He belted Samardzija's offering the opposite way, into the left-center-field gap for a double: Hill's contribution tied the game up at 1-1, and the Dodgers later took a 4-1 lead, en route to securing their fifth straight NL West title. The most remarkable part about the double, though? Hill hadn't registered an extra-base hit in 10 years, when he was a 27-year-old on the Cubs. Hill could hardly believe it, either: That last extra-base hit, a double, came way back on June 2, 2007, against Chuck James of the Braves. It also scored a run, but instead of Forsythe, it was old batterymate Koyie Hill. Of course, it didn't matter how long it had been -- Hill's Dodgers teammates were pumped: Dodgers celebrate Lasorda's 90th birthday By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Even before the Dodgers could present Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda a division title for his 90th birthday Friday night, the club held an on-field pregame ceremony to mark the occasion, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred among attending dignitaries. "Tommy is a great Dodger, a great Hall of Famer and a great American," said Manfred, who praised Lasorda for his service to the game, including being ambassador for the World Baseball Classic. "Tommy played a key role in making the tournament what it is today," said Manfred. Fred Claire, former Dodgers general manager and Lasorda's boss, pointed out the timing of Lasorda's birthday and the current status of the team. "Tommy's always had a flair for the dramatic," said Claire. "So, is it any surprise that on this night there would be a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium, for a game against the Giants, with a chance to clinch a fifth consecutive division title? When Tommy managed the rookie club in Ogden, he had a sign on the wall: 'Love baseball, hate the Giants.'"

Preceding the ceremony, the Dodgers showed a lengthy segment of an interview of Lasorda by former team broadcaster Ross Porter, documenting Lasorda's path through the Minor Leagues and into the manager's office at Dodger Stadium, as well as lighter moments, such as Lasorda's guest appearance singing on the television show "Hee Haw." Retired Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully narrated video of Lasorda's life. "Happy birthday to the most loyal Dodger we've ever known," Scully said of Lasorda, who has worked for the club for 68 years. Orel Hershiser, a Cy Young winner for Lasorda in 1988 and currently on the broadcast team, hosted the event and related how Lasorda taught young Dodgers how to win and never give up. Lasorda was escorted to his chair on the infield by current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who gave Lasorda a kiss on the cheek before walking back to the dugout. Hershiser introduced some of his former players encircling Lasorda on the infield: Fernando Valenzuela, Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Eric Karros, Rick Monday, Steve Yeager, Manny Mota, Mickey Hatcher, Ken Landreaux, Jerry Royster, Derrel Thomas, Kevin Gross and Juan Castro. Spanish broadcaster Jaime Jarrin reeled off a lengthy list of Latin stars that played for Lasorda, including Valenzuela, Pedro Guerrero and Ramon Martinez. "The Hispanic community worships and loves you very much," said Jarrin. The ceremony concluded with the entire Dodgers team joining Drew Drysdale, daughter of the late Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale, singing "Happy Birthday" to Lasorda. Then, Lasorda gave the go-ahead for the game to begin: "You're the greatest fans in the world," said Lasorda. "We owe you a championship. And it's time for baseball. Let's go." Hernandez, Dodgers helping Puerto Rico By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Written on the side of Kiké Hernandez's hat are two messages: "Pray 4 Puerto Rico" and "No Te Quites PR," which translates to "Don't give up, Puerto Rico." "It's one of those things my people from back home are very good about," Hernandez said about his message. "I know that we're going to find a way to come out [of it]." Hernandez, a native of Puerto Rico, has played with the message written on his hat since Wednesday when Hurricane Maria first devastated Puerto Rico. Hernandez said he talked to his family Wednesday morning, but his fiancee hasn't heard from her family since the hurricane made landfall. "Hurricane happened on Wednesday and it's been almost 72 hours," Hernandez said. "She hasn't heard anything yet. It's a little frustrating for sure, but it's nothing we can do. It's a really hard situation."

Instead of donating to the Red Cross, the Dodgers utility man felt more comfortable creating his own donation fund, which he started Thursday, where he can directly distribute funds to those in need. As of Friday, Hernandez's fund had received more than $20,000 from over 250 donors. "If I do it myself, I have control over where the money goes," Hernandez said. "And hopefully I can help the people that need it the most." For now, Hernandez plans to raise as much money as possible and then decide what to do with the funds when he finds out what the needs of Puerto Rico are. On Friday, the Dodgers announced the franchise was joining in their player's relief efforts by pledging $100,000 to the American Red Cross toward Hurricane Irma and Maria efforts and the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation also plans to contribute proceeds of its silent auction Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday toward relief efforts. Virus, not hand, keeps Turner sidelined By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Following being hit by a pitch on his hand Thursday vs. the Phillies, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was out of the lineup Friday. Manager Dave Roberts said though Turner's hand is still sore, his absence isn't because he's not able to play through the injury, but because of a virus he came down with Thursday night. Roberts said the All-Star third baseman could've played if not for the virus and he wouldn't be available for a pinch-hit situation Friday night vs. the Giants. "I exchanged some text messages with him and last night [he] didn't sleep well," Roberts said Friday. "He had some viral thing. Expect him back in there tomorrow." Turner stayed home to rest, and no one else in the Dodgers' clubhouse is dealing with the virus, Roberts said. As for Corey Seager, who fouled a pitch off his ankle Wednesday vs. the Phillies, Roberts said the All-Star shortstop is still sore but said he feels well enough to play. The Dodgers on Friday also welcomed back righty Brandon McCarthy, who has been on the disabled list since July 24 with a right finger blister, and placed right-hander Josh Ravin on the 60-day DL with an abdomen strain. McCarthy last pitched in the Majors on July 20 vs. the Braves, giving up six runs in four innings. The right-hander began the season in the Dodgers' starting rotation but dealt with command issues. Like Kenta Maeda, Roberts said the club plans to use McCarthy in a relief role down the stretch. Whether left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu joins McCarthy and Maeda in the bullpen hasn't been decided yet. Ryu is slated to start Saturday and Roberts said he won't make an abbreviated start, like Maeda's three-inning outing vs. the Phillies on Thursday.

"He's thrown the baseball really well in the second half," Roberts said about Ryu. "That's one of those things that we'll see how it plays out. ... Right now he's going to make his start tomorrow and we'll reassess after that." Let's wish a happy 90th birthday to Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda By Eric Chesterton Today, Sept. 22, 2017, marks the 90th birthday of Tommy Lasorda, Special Advisor to the Chairman of the Dodgers. Though he's best known for his work as a Dodgers manager and executive, he's occupied a nearly-unfathomable number of roles in baseball. As a member of the Dodgers organization, he not only convinced the higher-ups to burn a 62nd-round Draft pick on future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, but he also developed a bit of an adversarial relationship with mascots. Whether it was getting Expos mascot Youppi! ejected for ... sitting on the dugout: Or, beating the Phillie Phanatic with a doll crafted in his own likeness: Lasorda has had an interesting relationship with baseball's more cartoony friends. But, being his 90th birthday, today is a day of celebration in the Lasorda household, so let's not dwell on those troublesome mascots. We hope that Lasorda gets to spend the day as is fitting for baseball's grandpa: And that, once again, he gets to enjoy a cake worth of the name and the man:

LA TIMES It's a little too soon for the Dodgers to feel all bubbly By Dylan Hernandez The locker room Dave Roberts stepped into Friday night wasn’t the same place he walked through before the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Yasiel Puig splashed beer around the clubhouse. Joc Pederson smoked a cigar. Players smiled and embraced. Roberts felt reborn, the weight of the most miserable month of his managerial career suddenly lifted from his shoulders. The Dodgers were the champions of the National League West for the fifth consecutive season. “It’s something this group, this team, needed,” Roberts said.

The celebratory scene was nowhere near as festive as it was when the Dodgers secured division titles in previous seasons. Though there was champagne in the clubhouse, the Dodgers weren’t so much euphoric as they were relieved. A similar feeling was detected in the stands. The fans were relieved the Dodgers didn’t blow what was once a 21-game division lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, relieved they wouldn’t have to play in the wild-card play-in game, relieved they will have a place in an NL division series. When closer Kenley Jansen struck out Ryder Jones to seal the victory, the fans stood and applauded. The crowd didn’t roar. Dodger Stadium didn’t shake. “It’s different,” Roberts said before the game. By the numbers: How the Dodgers won their fifth straight division title That’s because division championships are more than opportunities to reflect on the previous six months. They are chances to imagine what is possible in October. But who wants to look ahead now? The Dodgers have been downright awful over the last four weeks. Including their win Friday night, they have won only seven times in their last 27 games. The performances made it hard to maintain perspective. Regardless of what happened in the last month, this team will have a chance to win 100 games. It won the NL’s most competitive division. The accomplishment was worth celebrating. “You never know,” Clayton Kershaw said. “This could be the last time you get to celebrate a division title.” The start of their recent three-city trip offered the promise of relief from the downturn. The Dodgers won two of three games in San Francisco. They did the same in Washington. They looked as if they had moved past their recent 1-16 stretch, which included a franchise-record 11-game losing streak. They hadn’t. The Dodgers dropped the first three games of a four-game series to the Philadelphia Phillies, a rebuilding franchise at the bottom of baseball’s worst division. A month ago, the Dodgers were the best team in baseball, within striking distance of the season record for wins. And now? With Corey Seager injured, the offense is nowhere near as dangerous as it was early in the season. The bullpen looks particularly vulnerable. “Everybody got cold at the same time,” Jansen said. What makes the situation particularly disconcerting is that Roberts and his players have absolutely no explanation for what has happened. “I can’t really put a finger on it,” Roberts said.

There was an instant Friday when the Dodgers looked as if they might have broken out of their monthlong slumber. It was in the third inning, when rookie Cody Bellinger sent an offering from Giants starter Jeff Samardzija over the right-field wall for a three-run home run that moved the Dodgers in front 4-1. As Bellinger rounded the bases, the stadium sounded like it did back in the good old days. Loud music blared over the sound system. The fans cheered. The home run turned out to be the high point of the night, not the relaunch of a once-potent offense. The Dodgers didn’t score another run. Roberts acknowledged this is a problem. He wants his team playing well when the regular season ends. Roberts was hopeful the release of pressure Friday night could turn around his team. “There was a lot of tension until we clinched,” he said. “There was so much buildup and anticipation. I think this is great for our team.” And if that fails, well, they can always pray for a miracle. Their division series will start five days after the end of the regular season. Maybe the short break will allow them to magically revert back to midseason form. “The regular season and the postseason, there’s no parallel, really,” Roberts said. He can only hope. Dodgers clinch fifth consecutive NL West title with 4-2 victory over Giants By Kevin Baxter The Dodgers finally popped the champagne corks on their National League West title Friday. And not a moment too soon for manager Dave Roberts, who has looked like a man in need of a stiff drink for a couple of weeks now. Roberts’ team is limping toward the postseason with a battered bullpen, a couple of banged-up players in the middle of his batting order and the league’s worst record in September. But the mood after the clinching 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium was anything but subdued, with the jubilant Dodgers bouncing in celebration at the center of the diamond, then drenching their clubhouse — and one another — in their locker room. The Dodgers have been here before, of course. This year’s division title is their fifth in as many seasons and their seventh since 2008. No other team has won as many over that span. But none of those titles led to a World Series appearance, so the real challenge for Roberts’ team was beginning at about the same time the team was bouncing on the field.

“You have to celebrate every accomplishment. But it’s World Series or bust,” first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. Added pitcher Alex Wood: “We have one goal. And this is a steppingstone to that.” The last time the Dodgers followed those stones to a World Series win, in 1988, four of the players in Friday’s starting lineup — including Cody Bellinger, whose tiebreaking home run in the third inning set an NL record — hadn’t even been born. Before the game, the Dodgers and the announced crowd of 51,159 held a birthday celebration for the team’s last World Series manager; Tommy Lasorda is now 90. The Giants had a 1-0 lead before the candles on Lasorda’s cake had gone out, with leadoff hitter Gorkys Hernandez bunting for a single, stealing second and scoring on Buster Posey’s one-out single to center. The Dodgers got that run back in the third when Logan Forsythe doubled with one out. One pitch later pitcher Rich Hill drove Forsythe in with an opposite-field double, his first extra-base hit since 2007. Chris Taylor reached on a fielder’s choice and Corey Seager walked, then Bellinger broke the tie with a mammoth three-run shot to right field, his 39th homer of the year. The blast also broke a tie in the record book with Wally Berger and Frank Robinson for home runs by an NL rookie. Hill (11-8) wobbled a bit with the lead, but a double play got him out of a jam in the fourth and after six innings he turned a three-run advantage over to his relievers. Tony Watson, Josh Fields and Kenley Jansen took it from there, with Jansen allowing a solo home run to Pablo Sandoval to start the ninth before striking out the next three hitters. “This part never gets old,” pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, goggles on his head and a beer in his hand, said as he surveyed the celebration. “You work all year and this is what you work for. It's a little too soon for the Dodgers to feel all bubbly “But we haven’t gone all the way. That’s what we’re searching for. We have to win the World Series.” Roberts said the next goal is to finish with the best regular-season record, guaranteeing them home-field advantage through the postseason. The Dodgers are two games better than the Cleveland Indians with eight games to play. “We’ve had a great season,” said Roberts who, as a player, had a key role in helping the Boston Red Sox break an 86-year World Series drought in 2004. “We still have a good opportunity to get some momentum going in the postseason.” But, he added, “We have a lot of work to do. This is only the beginning.”

Dodgers still trying to work things out for postseason By Kevin Baxter With just 10 days left in the regular season, injuries and illness have left the Dodgers’ lineup a work in progress. On Friday shortstop Corey Seager, who missed a game after fouling a ball off his right ankle, was back on the field but third baseman Justin Turner was not available after getting a stomach virus. Given the Dodgers’ recent struggles, manager Dave Roberts said he would like to use his playoff lineup during the final seven games — but without jeopardizing the health of players who are still dealing with some bumps and bruises. “It’s a fine line,” he said. “Corey wants to get on track offensively. So if he feels like he can play, it makes sense to get him out there. “There is some sense of urgency to want to finish the season playing well.” Roberts has some other personnel questions to answer over the next week in terms of his bullpen and bench. The manager has already said right-hander Kenta Maeda will move from the rotation into a relief role for the postseason while Andre Ethier, who started Friday in left field, is battling Curtis Granderson for a roster spot “With Andre, with all these different guys, we’re not set yet,” Roberts said. “We’re still evaluating.” Helping the homeland Dodgers utility player Enrique Hernandez has been unable to reach family members in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, which slammed the island Wednesday, knocking out power and electricity, killing more than a dozen and flooding much of the U.S. territory. “It’s a little frustrating for sure,” he said. “But there’s nothing we can do.” Actually that second part isn’t true. On Thursday, Hernandez and his fianceé Mariana Vicente started raising funds for relief efforts, collecting more than 250 donations totaling more than $21,000 in the first 24 hours. Hernandez has set a fundraising goal of $100,000 (Donations can be made online at youcaring.com/LosNuestros.) “[Athletes] have a unique platform to do a lot of things. And you can take advantage of it or you can throw it [away],” said Hernandez, who added the message “Love you Puerto Rico,” in Spanish, to his cap. “For me it’s about helping my people and helping the people that need it the most. I took it upon myself to help instead of sitting back from far away…and not do anything. Hopefully I can do some good with it.”

The Dodgers also joined the cause, pledging $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts following Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Irma, which battered Florida earlier this month, and the deadly earthquake that rocked Mexico on Tuesday. The team will also contribute proceeds from three silent auctions during the current homestand and Red Cross representatives will be at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and Tuesday accepting donations. McCarthy activated Before Friday’s game the Dodgers reinstated right-hander Brandon McCarthy from the 60-day disabled list. McCarthy, who last pitched July 20, missed two months with a blister on his right hand. He was 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 16 starts this season and Roberts said he will pitch out of the bullpen the rest of the year. At the same time the team placed reliever Josh Ravin on the 60-DL with an abdomen strain. Ravin, who spent most of the season at triple-A Oklahoma City, was 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA in 14 games with the Dodgers.

OC REGISTER

Whicker: Dodgers had a right to party after 5th consecutive NL West title By Mark Whicker LOS ANGELES — No other sport talks so much about the big one, then celebrates so hard over the little one. Kenley Jansen got Ryder Jones for the final out of the contested regular season on Friday night, and here came the champagne, the beer cooler, the protective goggles, and a whole Havana boatload of cigars. The wives and children came into the inner sanctum, the clubhouse floor began to flood, and the whole immeasurable masthead of Dodgers personnel came down to celebrate the conquest of four other baseball teams. The NHL and NBA and NFL don’t do that. You win a series and you shake hands and gulp for air and then you do it again. A lot of hockey and basketball teams don’t even know they’ve made the playoffs. Baseball is different. Yeah, it seems a little much. But it’s harmless if you avoid the broken glass, or if you’re not pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, standing by a doorway as Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen approach with full bottles and fiendish smiles. They empted it all on Honeycutt. “You’re giving me a heart attack!” Honeycutt cried. But he pitched in 30 postseason games and he has been running the Dodgers’ staff since 2006. He knows the sticky smoke of victory. “This one is special,” Manager Dave Roberts said, behind dark glasses.

All sports have unique demands. Baseball is a long-playing mind game. There are 162 games in 180 days. You can spend literally half your life in a ballpark. In hockey you have team dinner on off days and in football you have quarterbacks buying steak dinners for their carnivorous linemen. Baseball players rarely get those moments of release, not until their siege of a season is lifted. The Dodgers have won five consecutive division titles. The last team to do it was Philadelphia, from 2007 through 2011. Chase Utley was on all five of those teams, on three of these. “It’s no easy feat,” Utley said. “You have to have the players, and some luck, too. Those Phillies teams had a lot of talent, but you need more than that. Since I’ve been here, everybody has bought into what we’re doing.” The Phillies won the World Series in 2008 and won the NLCS in 2009, but squandered home-field advantages in losses to San Francisco and St. Louis in 2010 and 2011. The Dodgers began this streak in 2013. Only six of those players are still here, and the streak has required two managers and two general managers. It’s a far different team, maybe even different since they ran aground with 15 losses in 16 games, and woke up like stockbrokers in late 2008, half their investment gone. “I definitely believe that will be good for us,” Utley said. “Nobody enjoys losing games. But we were going so great for such a long time. It wasn’t realistic.” “Ten games into that mini-slide, I remember that we were talking about how this could be a really good thing for us,” General Manager Andrew Friedman said. “Then when it lasted a little big longer, we said, all right, that’s enough. “But the work ethic never wavered. This group hadn’t had any adversity. So this could set us up well for October.” Through 162 games, unexpected pieces fall from the sky. Sometimes they’re big, vicious boulders. For the Dodgers they were mostly fruit baskets and ambrosia. Late-inning rallies, three months between lost series. Cody Bellinger was the main gift from above, and he was the appropriate cause of this 98th win, driving an unfortunate pitch from Jeff Samardzija deep into the bedlam of the right-field pavilion. It was Bellinger’s 39th home run and broke a National League rookie record, and there have been some powerful rookies. Bellinger didn’t even start the season in L.A. What was Friedman’s realistic expectation in the spring? He laughed. “I thought he’d be a very good X factor for us in the second half of the season if the stars aligned,” Friedman said. “I didn’t know the stars would align in April.” Roberts also said this was special because of the muscle in the division, because Arizona is definitely headed for the playoffs and Colorado probably is. That’s 38 games against tough lineups, against MVP candidates like Paul Goldschmidt, Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado.

“It was almost like the old American League East,” Honeycutt said. “We had some tough games. But these guys have been warriors.” The Atlanta Braves finished first in 14 consecutive full seasons, beginning in 1991, and they partied hard every time. Waking up the morning after, with the room moving? That’s adversity, too. The Dodgers just hope their sleepless nights stretch into November. Dodgers clinch 5th consecutive NL West title as Cody Bellinger sets rookie record By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES — They have been both the tortoise and the hare in this race, gone from GOAT to goats. But the Dodgers finally got around to clinching the NL West division title they really won in August – back when they were 91-36 and visions of 116-win seasons were dancing in everyone’s heads. Back then, Cody Bellinger, who couldn’t legally drink for most of this division title run, seemed to hit a home run every night and the improbable became routine. The Dodgers played the hits again in Friday’s 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants – Bellinger hit a three-run home run and Rich Hill defied his .075 batting average with an RBI double. Whatever doubts crept in during their 1-16 freefall – “Probably not as many as you guys had,” Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi said with a laugh – they were washed away by copious amounts of champagne in the post-game clubhouse. “I’ll be honest – when you’re celebrating a division title, every year feels like ‘The Year,’” Zaidi said. “Right now is probably not the best time to get perspective. This feels like destiny right now.” “I think that every year,” Tommy Lasorda said, the former manager celebrating his 90th birthday with new-age goggles on amid the airborne joy. It certainly felt like destiny for much of the summer. Languishing around .500 when Bellinger arrived from Triple-A in late April, the Dodgers took off with the infusion of the rookie’s power. They won 43 of 50 games at one point – the best 50-game run in 105 years – and went 56-11 during a two-month stretch. “He came up and sparked the team,” grizzled two-year veteran Corey Seager said. The Dodgers are 83-37 when Bellinger is in their starting lineup. His towering three-run home run Friday was his 39th of the season, breaking a tie with Wally Berger and Frank Robinson and setting a new rookie home run record in the National League. “Just the energy he brought to the club – it’s evident in our won-loss record,” Zaidi said, resorting to the most fundamental counting stat to measure Bellinger’s impact. “I can’t go back too far but it’s as impactful a rookie performance as I’ve ever seen. There have been some great ones. Corey was great

last year. I think Belly coming up and doing what he did at just the right time – yeah, that was pretty special.” By mid-August, there was a growing feeling that the Dodgers themselves might do something really special this season.But they hit a patch of clear-air turbulence that caused a rapid loss of altitude. They made history by adding an 11-game losing streak and 16 losses in a 17-game stretch to their resume. No other team in history has been both as successful and as feckless in the same season. The Dodgers, 53-23 at home, hadn’t won at Dodger Stadium in nearly a month (Aug. 25). “I actually learned that it’s a group that sticks together,” Zaidi said of the descent. “I’ve been part of teams that had skids that weren’t as bad and kind of splintered worse, unfortunately, than what we saw from this group. “(Manager) Dave (Roberts) stayed consistent. They dealt with a lot of scrutiny, a lot of negative press. That’s what happens when you lose 16 out of 17. … Just the consistency and staying together, I think, was key.” If the air has settled recently, it is in large part due to the starting pitching. That group had a dreadful 6.54 ERA and 1.64 WHIP during the 1-16 freefall, putting the Dodgers in early holes on a frequent basis. In 10 games since then, the starters have a 1.64 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. The Giants scratched out a run in the first inning against Hill but he allowed no more in six innings, striking out nine. “We’ve been through massive adversity,” said Hill whose double was his first extra-base hit since 2007 – when Bellinger was finishing sixth grade. “Tonight was a great example of what you can see in playoff games. Having the opportunity to clinch the division in a game like tonight, everyone tightened their level of play. As everyone knows, in the playoffs, it’s the team that makes the least mistakes that wins.” FIVE-TIMERS CLUB Five players have been a part of all five division titles for the Dodgers – Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier. (Hyun-Jin Ryu missed the entire 2015 season after shoulder surgery.) “You have to celebrate,” Kershaw said. “You never know if this is the last time you’re going to win a division championship. We’re celebrating, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know there’s more work to do.” Added Hill, who joined the team at midseason in 2016: “It’s just so special every time you get a chance to celebrate, you have to take advantage of it. This is something we should really enjoy — for a night.” BELLINGER’S MOMENT “The feeling running the base paths was awesome,” Bellinger said of his record-setting homer. “I knew it gave us a lead, and knowing the way our bullpen has been pitching, we were confident.

“This is so awesome. You see it on TV, and it looks fun. To actually be part of it, it’s even better.” MORE NEWBIE REACTION Pitcher Walker Buehler, a September call-up, talking to Sports Net L.A. reporter Alanna Rizzo about celebrating a division title: “I was doing this in Low-A last year. I think we had hard apple cider there.” PANDA BITE Jansen struck out three left-handed pinch-hitters — Denard Span, Jarrett Parker and Ryder Jones — to seal the win, but only after Pablo Sandoval hit a leadoff homer in the ninth. HOME-FIELD RACE Attention now turns to the Dodgers’ leads for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Their magic number to clinch that in the National League is four (over the Washington Nationals). They lead the Cleveland Indians by two games for the best record overall. Regardless, they will open a best-of-five National League Division Series at home on Friday, Oct. 6, against either the NL wild-card game winner of the NL Central champion. Last year, the Dodgers lost to the eventual champion Cubs in the NL Championship Series. “There’s a certain elation going on, but they’re still focused,” Roberts said. “They’re still focused on that sour taste we had in our mouths in Chicago. It hasn’t dissipated.” Dodgers Notes: Protective nets expanding their reach around baseball after scary incident By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES — Dodger Stadium is the only major league venue in which a fan has been killed by a foul ball. Alan Fish, a 14-year-old sitting down the the first-base line during a May 1970 game between the Dodgers and Giants, was struck in the left temple by a ball off the bat of Manny Mota. Fish left the ballpark on his own, but died as a result of his injuries four days later. The issue of fan safety came into sharper focus Wednesday, when a young girl was hit in the face by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium. Players on the field were visibly shaken, and some have called for expanded netting to protect fans seated behind the dugouts and the base lines. On Thursday, three teams – the Reds, Padres and Mariners – announced plans to expand netting by the beginning of next season. The Colorado Rockies said they would explore the feasibility of expanding the nets at Coors Field in the offseason. Speaking at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he expects momentum on the issue to continue.

“An incident like we had in New York is really upsetting to everybody,” he said. “It does bring the issue to the front of everyone’s consciousness yet again. I do think you’re going to see a lot of change happen.” The Dodgers might follow suit; already the team has discussed the idea of expanded nets internally. Currently, the only protective nets at Dodger Stadium extend from the edges of each dugout closest to home plate. Prior to the 2016 season, the league issued recommendations for expanded netting at each ballpark. Another recommendation might need months to implement. “It really depends from ballpark to ballpark and what’s available to hang the netting,” Manfred said. “I think people think it’s a lot easier to do than it actually is. Most cases, it involves bringing the ballpark architect in to figure out exactly how it works. It’s not a two-year job but it’s not a one-day job. Most realistically it’s an offseason job.” RYU’S ROLE UNDECIDED Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week that left-handed Hyun-Jin Ryu would be given a chance to finish the regular season as a reliever, to gauge his suitability in a postseason bullpen role. Roberts appeared to backtrack on Friday. He stopped short of saying whether Ryu would start or relieve after Saturday’s start against the Giants, saying only that “a lot can happen. To make a decision right now just doesn’t seem responsible.” The Dodgers have eight games left in the regular season, including Saturday’s. “He’s thrown the baseball really well in the second half,” Roberts said of Ryu. “We’ll see how it plays out and keep him built up.” Ryu has a 3.46 earned-run average in 23 games (22 starts) this season – 2.36 since the All-Star break. HERNANDEZ HELPS OUT Dodgers utilityman Kiké Hernandez wrote two phrases on his hat in silver: “Pray For PR,” in English, and “Don’t give up,” in Spanish. His native Puerto Rico still did not have access to power Friday, two days after Hurricane Maria made landfall and wreaked havoc on the Caribbean island. “Once the game starts it’s easy to disconnect from that and focus on the game,” Hernandez said. “The waiting game is hard.” Hernandez created a web page Thursday to solicit donations to aid relief efforts. Donations had surpassed $20,000 in the first day. “There’s no communication,” Hernandez said. “Eighty percent of the island has flooded. There’s not much they can do yet. At least the water started going down a little bit. When the governor says what the needs are … we can decide what we’re going to do with that money.”

The Red Cross will be at Dodger Stadium on Saturday to accept monetary donations at La Gran Fiesta from 2 to 6 p.m. BULLPEN SWAP Pitcher Brandon McCarthy was activated from the 60-day disabled list and will take the roster spot of reliever Josh Ravin. Ravin was placed on the 60-day DL with an abdominal strain, effectively ending his season. The West Hills native was 0-1 with a 6.48 earned-run average this season, striking out 19 batters over 16⅔ innings. “He tried to play through it, to his credit,” Roberts said of Ravin. “It’s just not coming out the right way. We’re going to try to get him ready for spring training next year.” McCarthy will pitch out of the bullpen, a role he hasn’t held for an extended period since 2006, when he was 23 and pitching for the Chicago White Sox. Now 34, McCarthy was 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 16 starts when he was sidelined by a finger blister. “He’s worked hard to get back so we want to give him a look and give him an opportunity to log some innings,” Roberts said.

ESPN In winning the NL West, Dodgers finally get their party started By Arash Markazi LOS ANGELES -- Everything happens for a reason. At least that's what the Los Angeles Dodgers told themselves as they boarded their charter flight from Philadelphia and returned home on Thursday; their division-clinching champagne still on ice after laboring through a 6-20 stretch over the past month. Their magic number, which they figured would have been a non-issue at this point in the season back when they were 91-36 on Aug. 25, finally had dwindled to one heading into Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants. They were in position to win their fifth straight division title at Dodger Stadium, in front of more than 50,000 fans, against their most hated rival. But there was something else that made clinching the division Friday extra special and perhaps worth the long wait. It was Tommy Lasorda's 90th birthday. Rich Hill had cause to celebrate the Dodgers' NL West crown as he struck out nine and gave up one run in six innings of work on Friday against the Giants. Paul Buck/EPA "It's my mantra right now for all of us," Dodgers manager David Roberts said Thursday. "It would be only fitting that we clinch the fifth in a row on Tommy's birthday. That'll be at the forefront of our minds."

Lasorda's office at Dodger Stadium is a mini museum of his life and his 68-year career with the team, which stretches from his days as a player and scout in Brooklyn to his time as a manager and front office executive in Los Angeles. Next to his desk is a bronze plaque engraved with his picture, his name and a message: "Dodger Stadium was his address, but every ballpark was his home." Below his name, his birth year, 1927, is engraved on a small plate next to an empty space that waits for a year Lasorda wants to delay until the Dodgers win one more World Series. "I want to see them win it," Lasorda told ESPN. "I want to see them win a World Series one more time." Though every inch of Lasorda's office is covered in photos, awards and mementos, when he was a manager in rookie ball, he had only one sign in his office: "Love baseball. Hate the Giants." On Friday, Lasorda received the perfect birthday present. The Dodgers defeated the hated Giants 4-2 to win the NL West and moved to two games ahead of the Cleveland Indians for the best MLB record. Despite a forgettable month following a magical 52-9 stretch this summer, the Dodgers are exactly where they wanted to be when they started the season in April. "This is what this ball club needed," Roberts said. "There has been so much anticipation, even going back to October, of coming back and winning the division so to get over that hump and win a fifth division title is something special. "We don't take this for granted. We couldn't have scripted this better. Last year we won it on Vin [Scully]'s last day in the booth at home, and this year we did it on Tommy's 90th birthday against the Giants. It was perfect." The Dodgers knew they would be having a champagne celebration in a clubhouse somewhere at some point when they were 55 games above .500 last month, but they certainly didn't think it would take this long after enduring an 11-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history since the Brooklyn Dodgers lost 16 straight in 1944. But there was a sense of relief in the Dodgers' clubhouse after the game that they had finally done it at home as fireworks went off after the game to Frank Sinatra's "My Way," Lasorda's favorite song. "It's baseball and it's not always easy," Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger said. "With the team we have, we're really talented, but we still have to go out there and compete, and we did that tonight. I think we're going to be all right." The Dodgers' recipe for their division-clinching win included some of the same basic ingredients they used during their torrid run this summer. Rich Hill was solid on the mound, pitching six innings and giving up five hits and one earned run. After the Dodgers found themselves behind early, they once again were saved by Bellinger, who hit a three-run homer to put the Dodgers ahead for good. It was his 39th home run of the season, breaking the NL rookie record. And in the end Kenley Jansen came in and saved his 40th game, tied for the best in the NL.

After the game, Lasorda, wearing oversized goggles, joined the Dodgers' champagne celebration in the clubhouse, taking the occasional swig when he was handed a bottle by a player he was four times older than. They all wanted Lasorda to know they won Friday for him. "I feel good that it happened on my birthday," Lasorda told ESPN. "Now we have to prepare ourselves for the next step. I think we're going to win it. There's no doubt in my mind, but I hope that they cooperate with my prediction. "I'm just so happy for them. They're a good team and they play hard and they deserve all the accolades that are being bestowed upon them. It was extra special that they did it against the Giants. I've never liked the Giants." The road to the postseason hasn't been as smooth as the Dodgers had hoped it would be last month, but they feel as if they're back on track after winning the division and are in position to give Lasorda the ultimate present next month, the team’s first World Series title since 1988. When Roberts saw Lasorda in the Dodgers' clubhouse after the game, he smiled, gave him a big hug and told him, "This is just the beginning." Dodgers down Giants, celebrate fifth straight NL West title By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- They made it look oh-so-easy -- and made it seem woefully difficult. Now, these Dodgers figure they're braced for anything. They'll get to find out in the postseason, after their 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night gave Los Angeles its fifth consecutive National League West title, setting off yet another September party at Dodger Stadium. "You have to celebrate," said Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. "You never know if this is the last time you're going to win a division championship. We're celebrating, but that doesn't mean we don't know there's more work to do." The capper was highlighted by a homer from a player who couldn't legally drink for most of this division title run. Cody Bellinger set an NL rookie record with his 39th homer, a three-run shot in the third inning. The 22-year-old topped the mark set by Wally Berger in 1930 and matched by Frank Robinson in 1956. Veteran Rich Hill (11-8) threw six strong innings for the Dodgers, allowing a run, five hits and a walk, with nine strikeouts. "It's just so special every time you get a chance to celebrate, you have to take advantage of it," Hill said. "This is something we should really enjoy -- for a night." Los Angeles will open the NL Division Series at home on Oct. 6. The Dodgers are seeking to reach the World Series for the first time since 1988 under manager Tommy Lasorda, who was on hand at Dodger Stadium to celebrate his 90th birthday.

"This never gets old," Lasorda said in the clubhouse after the game. He was wearing ski goggles to ward off sprayed sparkling wine. Los Angeles tied for the third-longest streak of division titles, behind the Atlanta Braves' 14 from 1991-2005 and the New York Yankees' nine from 1998-2006. It was the third time in four years that the Dodgers clinched against the Giants. "Congrats to them," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "They've had a tremendous year. Across the board, they played really great baseball." After a record run that saw the Dodgers push their mark to 91-36, they had gone just 6-20 -- including a dismal 1-16 stretch -- to make clinching their division more laborious than anticipated. Los Angeles stopped a nine-game home losing streak in doing so, winning at Chavez Ravine for the first time since Aug. 25. "We've been through some enormous adversity," Hill said. "With a chance to clinch, everybody tightened their level of play tonight and it led to the win. That will help us in the postseason." The Dodgers received a huge lift this season from Bellinger, who started the season in the minors and was not called up until April 25. His three-run homer off Jeff Samardzija (9-15) in the third broke a 1-1 tie and left the Dodgers waiting to celebrate. "The feeling running the basepaths was awesome," Bellinger said. "I knew it gave us a lead, and knowing the way our bullpen has been pitching, we were confident. "This is so awesome. You see it on TV, and it looks fun. To actually be part of it, it's even better. I'm glad to be part of it." Samardzija gave up five hits in 4⅓ innings and surrendered all four runs in the third. At 60-94, the Giants matched their most losses since 1996. Pablo Sandoval gave the Dodgers a scare when he led off the ninth with a solo home run off Kenley Jansen, but the closer then struck out the side to earn his 40th save and start the celebration. Last postseason, the Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series. "There's a certain elation going on, but they're still focused," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "They're still focused on that sour taste we had in our mouths in Chicago. It hasn't dissipated." GOOD COMPANY Roberts joined Lasorda as the only Dodgers managers to lead the club to division titles in their first two seasons as a manager. LOOKING AHEAD

Cleveland lost 3-1 to the Seattle Mariners on Friday, leaving the Dodgers two games up on the Indians for best overall record and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: Bochy said OF Austin Slater is dealing with a sore right hip flexor. He could be out for a couple of days. Dodgers: RHP Josh Ravin was placed on the 60-day disabled list with sore hip and groin, and RHP Brandon McCarthy (knee tendinitis) was activated. Roberts said McCarthy will be given a chance to earn a postseason reliever's role. ... 3B Justin Turner did not start because of a sore right thumb after being hit by a pitch on Thursday and because he was dealing with a virus. UP NEXT Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (3-9, 3.48 ERA) will seek to stop his four-game losing streak. The Giants haven't won a Bumgarner start since Aug. 15 in Miami. Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-7 3.46) will continue to make his bid as the team's No.4 starter for the postseason. Ryu has been particularly strong at home of late, going 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA in his past 11 starts. Dodgers' Cody Bellinger sets NL rookie home-run record with 39th By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Cody Bellinger broke the National League rookie record with his 39th home run of the season, the same night the Dodgers clinched their fifth straight NL West crown. Bellinger hit a three-run shot in the third inning Friday night against San Francisco Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija. Bellinger passed the mark shared by Wally Berger (1930) and Frank Robinson (1956). The only rookies with more homers than Bellinger are Mark McGwire (49, 1987) and Aaron Judge (46, this season with the New York Yankees). The 21-year-old Bellinger wasn't called up to the major leagues until April 25, missing Los Angeles' first 20 games. The Dodgers won the game, 4-2.

Carlos Beltran donates $1M, seeks funds for Puerto Rico relief efforts By Enrique Rojas Veteran outfielder and designated hitter Carlos Beltran is leading the efforts of several Puerto Rican athletes and institutions to raise funds to help victims of Hurricane Maria, which ravaged the island earlier this week. The Houston Astros star donated $1 million to the relief efforts. Beltran, his wife Jessica and children posted a message on social media, asking for help to relieve their fellow Puerto Ricans' pain and suffering. "Any donation, large or small, is greatly appreciated and will help the people who need it the most," the Beltran family's message says. The Category 4 hurricane (with wind gusts of over 150 mph) has left six dead and more than 10,000 people in shelters, leaving parts of the island without power and communications systems. Many roads and bridges have also been destroyed. "The devastation brought by Hurricane Maria to Puerto Rico was unimaginable, leaving the island without power for an indefinite amount of time. Lots of us are still praying and hoping our loved ones to be safe and sound," said Beltran, a 20-year MLB veteran. St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and his wife Wanda launched a drive with a goal of raising over $1 million from donations within the United States. Los Angeles Dodgers utility man Enrique "Kike" Hernandez created his own relief effort. NBA star Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks donated $50,000, encouraging people to help the efforts for those who are most affected on the island where his late father was born. "You read the headlines, and they're all saying Puerto Rico might be powerless for 4-6 months," Anthony wrote in an article on The Players' Tribune. "But do you really understand the magnitude of that? Do you really? "Right now, as I'm sitting here on Thursday night, there's thousands of little kids sitting in the dark. They might not have a roof over their heads anymore. Their houses might be totally destroyed. Their refrigerators aren't running. They might not have much food or clean water to last them the week," Carmelo said. Meanwhile, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced on Friday a $1 million donation to entities working to help those affected in recent disasters. Hurricanes have also hit Cuba and Florida. An earthquake in Mexico killed at least 293 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

Big names on hand as Dodgers wish Tommy Lasorda a happy 90th By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Shortly before the Dodgers tried to clinch the NL West on Friday night, they threw a party. One to celebrate Tommy Lasorda's 90th birthday. During a pregame ceremony, the Hall of Fame manager was surrounded by more than a dozen former players, ex-general manager Fred Claire, Hall of Fame announcer Jaime Jarrin and commissioner Rob Manfred. Lasorda managed the Dodgers to their last World Series championship in 1988, his second title during a 21-year run leading the club. "He's a great Dodger, a great Hall of Famer and a great American," Manfred said. Lasorda looked frail but was walking under his own power. He did not speak during the ceremony, but did briefly address the crowd after. "You're the greatest fans in the world," he said. "We owe you a championship." Lasorda also won a World Series in 1981 and led the U.S. to an Olympic gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. This is his 68th season working with the Dodgers, who currently list him as an advisor to team chairman Mark Walter. "He understood the talent and skill of the players and helped hone them," said former Dodgers third baseman Ron Cey. "He was like a father figure to a lot of us. He was with us all the time. We played baseball from sunup to sundown. And then we'd spend time together and eat together." The Dodgers completed the ceremony with Drew Drysdale, daughter of Don Drysdale, leading the team and fans in singing "Happy Birthday."

TRUE BLUE LA

Dodgers clinch National League West for 5th straight season By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers beat the Giants 4-2 on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, clinching the National League West for a fifth consecutive season. The win gave the Dodgers (98-56) a nine-game division lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks (89-65) with eight left to play, making the Dodgers the first team to win the NL West five years in a row. They are just the sixth team since divisional play began in 1969 to win a division five or more consecutive seasons, and the first since the Philadelphia Phillies won the NL East every year from 2007-11.

Before these last five years, the Dodgers as a franchise had never made the postseason more than two seasons in a row. After Giants starter Jeff Samardzija retired his first seven batters faced, the Dodgers offense came alive in the third inning. Logan Forsythe doubled, then Rich Hill followed with an opposite field double of his own, his fourth career double and first since June 2, 2007. That tied the score at 1-1, then after a two-out walk to Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger crushed a three-run shot into the left field pavilion for the Dodgers’ first lead. Bellinger’s 39th home run of the season, in addition to sending the Dodger Stadium crowd into a frenzy, set a National League record for home runs by a rookie. “Oh my goodness,” manager Dave Roberts said. “You talk about Cody, you talk about Chris Taylor, and what we expected out of them going into the season, they have obviously exceeded those expectations.” Hill held the Giants down after the first inning, striking out nine batters in his six innings. Since joining the Dodgers, Hill has allowed six runs in six starts against the Giants, posting a 1.65 ERA in 32⅔ innings, with 32 strikeouts and five walks. Kenley Jansen allowed a home run to Pablo Sandoval in the ninth, but got the final three outs for his 40th save, joining Eric Gagne as the only pitchers in Dodgers history with three seasons of 40 or more saves. Owners of the best record in baseball, the Dodgers in 2017 have still managed to have an odd year. They were tied for first place after the opening series of the season, but thanks to strong starts by both Arizona and the Colorado Rockies the Dodgers didn’t taste first place again until May 30. 5+ division titles in a row Team Years WS apps Titles Braves 11 ('95-'05) 3 1 Yankees 9 ('98-'06) 5 3 A's 5 ('71-'75) 3 3 Indians 5 ('95-'99) 2 0 Phillies 5 ('07-'11) 2 1 Dodgers 5 ('12-'16) 0 0 The club won at a nearly unprecedented pace for 2½ months, with runs of 43-7 and 52-9 starting in early June, the latter the best 61-game stretch in the majors since 1912. The Dodgers took control of first place for good on June 21, and saw their division lead grow as large as 21 games, as late as Aug. 25. Then, the losing started. The Dodgers, who hadn’t lost more than three games in a row for nearly the first five months of the season, lost five straight games, then after a single victory lost another 11 in a row, the longest losing streak in MLB in 2017 and the club’s longest skid since their franchise-worst 16-game losing streak in Brooklyn in 1944.

General manager Farhan Zaidi joked that the Dodgers front office during the 1-16 stretch, “We were all looking at our playoff probability, wondering how it could still be 100 percent.” They are having the worst September ever for an MLB playoff team. Six of those September losses came to the Diamondbacks, who won 13 straight games to dramatically reduce the Dodgers’ NL West advantage, but Arizona never got closer than within 8½ games of Los Angeles. “What I learned is that this is a group that really sticks together. I’ve been part of teams that had skids that weren’t as bad, but splintered a lot worse,” Zaidi said. “These guys stayed together, stayed consistent, and dealt with a lot of scrutiny and negative press. That’s what happens when you lose 16 out of 17. With 98 victories, the Dodgers have their highest win total since 1977. “We’ve had a great season. We still have an opportunity to get some momentum going for the postseason,” Roberts said Friday. “But to be quite honest, the regular season and the postseason has no parallel. The numbers speak to it. “Every year is different, every team is different. If you had your choice, you still want to go in feeling good, because there is a psychological component to it.” By clinching after 154 games, this is the earliest point in the schedule the Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth since 2013, when the team ensured a postseason berth in their 153rd game. Here are the clinching dates for the Dodgers’ five straight division titles: Sept. 19, 2013: Game 153 at Arizona Sept. 24, 2014: Game 159 vs. San Francisco Sept. 29, 2015: Game 157 at San Francisco Sept. 25, 2016: Game 156 vs. Colorado Sept. 22, 2017: Game 154 vs. San Francisco This is the seventh time the Dodgers have clinched a postseason berth while playing the Giants, along with 1977, 1983, 2004, 2006, 2014 and 2015. The Dodgers will open the National League Division Series on Friday, Oct. 6, with the first two games at Dodger Stadium. If they hold on to the best record in the National League, they will play the winner of the wild card game in the division series. Should the Washington Nationals claim the NL top spot, the Dodgers would play the NL Central winner in the NLDS. Friday particulars Home run: Cody Bellinger (39); Pablo Sandoval (8) WP - Rich Hill (11-8): 6 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts LP - Jeff Samardzija (9-15): 4 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

Sv - Kenley Jansen (40): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 3 strikeouts Dodgers will open NL Division Series at home on October 6 By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have clinched the National League West for a fifth consecutive season, which ensures the National League Division Series will begin at Dodger Stadium. The NLDS starts on Friday, Oct. 6, and the first two games will be in Los Angeles. The likely opponent will be the NL wild card winner, unless the Nationals somehow catch the Dodgers for best record in the league over the final nine days of the regular season. Through Friday’s games, the Dodgers have a 5½-game lead over Washington for the best record in the NL, with eight games left to play (nine for Washington). LA’s magic number to clinch the top seed in the National League and home field advantage through the first two rounds is four. The Dodgers (98-56) are assured of finishing with a better record than the winner of the National League Central, currently led by the Cubs (86-67). The National League wild card game is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 4. The Diamondbacks are in first wild card position, with a six-game lead over the Rockies. Here is the Dodgers’ schedule for the National League Division Series, with start times to be determined: Game 1: Friday, Oct. 6: at Dodger Stadium Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 7: at Dodger Stadium Game 3: Monday, Oct. 9: at NL wild card game winner or NL Central winner Game 4*: Tuesday, Oct. 10: at NL wild card game winner or NL Central winner Game 5*: Thursday, Oct. 12: at Dodger Stadium *if necessary All National League playoff games will be televised by TBS. Dodgers magic number to clinch best record in NL is 4 By Eric Stephen The Dodgers are have clinched their fifth consecutive National League West division title, and with the best record in baseball have a chance to secure home field advantage all the way through the playoffs and World Series as well. The division was wrapped up on Friday night, with the Dodgers’ win over the Giants at home. Dodgers 98-56 (.636) — Diamondbacks 89-65 (.578) 9 GB

Best record in NL The Dodgers have a large cushion over the Nationals for the best record in the National League, vying for the top seed in the NL and a division series matchup against the winner of the NL wild card game. Dodgers 98-56 (.636) — Nationals 92-61 (.601) 5½ GB The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the best record in the National League is four, worn below by Duke Snider. Los Angeles and Washington split their six games in 2017, and the second tiebreaker is intradivisional record (even for teams not in the same division). That would tip the scales toward the Nationals (44-27 vs. NL East) over the Dodgers (35-33 vs. NL West). This is a long way of saying that the Dodgers have to finish ahead of the Nationals to have home field advantage in the NL playoffs. Best record in baseball Dodgers 98-56 (.636) — Indians 96-58 (.623) 2 GB Astros 94-59 (.614) 3½ GB The Dodgers beat the Indians two out of three games in June, so they own the tiebreaker against Cleveland. The Dodgers haven’t played the Astros, and would lose out to Houston on the divisional record tiebreaker. LA’s magic number over Cleveland is six, and over Houston is six. Friday scores Dodgers 4, Giants 2 Nationals 7, Nationals 6 Astros 3. Angels 0 Marlins , Diamondbacks Mariners 3, Indians 1 Saturday schedule 6:10 p.m.: Dodgers (Hyun-jin Ryu) vs. Giants (Madison Bumgarner) 10:05 a.m.: Astros (Charlie Morton) vs. Angels (Bud Norris) 1:10 p.m.: Indians (Carlos Carrasco) at Mariners (Andrew Moore) 4:10 p.m.: Nationals (Stephen Strasburg) at Mets (Noah Syndergaard) 6:40 p.m.: Diamondbacks (Taijuan Walker) vs. Marlins (Dillon Peters)

Cody Bellinger breaks NL record for home runs by a rookie By Eric Stephen No National League rookie has ever hit more home runs than Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers first baseman on Friday hit his 39th home run of the season, setting a new mark in the senior circuit. Bellinger’s blast — a three-run shot against Jeff Samardzija in the third inning, giving the Dodgers a 4-1 lead — broke a tie with Wally Berger (1930) and Frank Robinson (1956), both of whom hit 38 home runs in their rookie campaigns. In the history of baseball, there have only been two rookie seasons with more home runs than Bellinger. In 1987, Mark McGwire set the major league record with 49 home runs as a rookie for the Athletics. This year, Aaron Judge of the Yankees has 46 home runs. Judge leads the American League in home runs as a rookie. Bellinger is second in the National League to Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins, who has 54 round trippers in 2017. What makes Bellinger’s rookie season even more remarkable is that he wasn’t called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City until Apr. 25, spending the first 20 games of the season in the minors. His 39 home runs in his first 124 career games rank second in major league history to McGwire, who hit 42. The home run on Friday for Bellinger gave him a team-leading 94 RBI in 2017, third-most by a Dodgers rookie, trailing only Mike Piazza (112, in 1993) and Del Bissonette (106, in 1928). Dodgers activate Brandon McCarthy, place Josh Ravin on 60-day DL By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers activated pitcher Brandon McCarthy from the 60-day disabled list before Friday’s series opener against the Giants, with the starting pitcher in a relief role down the stretch. McCarthy has been sidelined for two months with a blister on his right finger, having last pitched for the Dodger on July 20. He pitched in three minor league rehab games, including two rehab starts with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and a playoff start last Friday throwing six innings for Double-A Tulsa. “We’ve got another hard-throwing right-hander out of the pen,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s something he’s unfamiliar with, but he’s worked hard to get back. We wanted to give him a look and an opportunity to log some innings.” McCarthy has pitched just twice in relief in the last 11 seasons, including a disastrous outing in the final weekend of the 2016 regular season that saw him face six batters and allow six runs in San Francisco. In 16 starts this season, McCarthy is 6-4 with a 3.84 ERA, with 66 strikeouts and 25 walks in 86⅔ innings. To make room on the 40-man roster, relief pitcher Josh Ravin was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a right abdomen strain.

Ravin has a 6.84 ERA in 14 major league appearances this season, with 19 strikeouts and 12 walks in 16⅔ innings. He allowed two home runs on Sunday against the Nationals, and has allowed seven runs in 4⅔ innings in five September games. “He’s been dealing with hip and groin issues all year. He’s tried to play through it,” Roberts said. “[The ball is] just not coming out the right way. We’re going to shut him down and get him ready for spring training next year.” Corey Seager returns to Dodgers lineup, Justin Turner out with illness By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers got half of the left side of their infield back for the series opener against the Giants, with Corey Seager returning to the starting lineup for a potential division-clinching game. But third baseman Justin Turner sits on Friday one day after getting hit by a pitch on his right thumb. Turner was hit by a pitch on the right thumb in the first inning on Thursday against the Phillies, and left the game after playing one defensive inning. His thumb is still sore, but Turner is also sick, which is more the reason he’s not playing on Friday. “He’s probably unavailable tonight, but I expect him back in there tomorrow,” manager Dave Roberts said. Seager, who has four of the Dodgers’ nine home runs against the Giants in 2017, is back at shortstop two days after fouling a ball off his right ankle on Wednesday in Philadelphia. He didn’t play on Thursday. Starting lineups Pos Giants Pos Dodgers CF Hernandez CF Taylor 2B Panik (L) SS Seager (L) 1B Posey 1B Bellinger (L) RF Pence RF Granderson (L) SS Crawford (L) LF Ethier (L) C Hundley C Grandal (S) 3B Sandoval (S) 2B Utley (L) LF Williamson 3B Forsythe P Samardzija P Hill (L) Time: 7:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA Yasiel Puig is getting a day off on Friday, with Curtis Granderson in right field and Andre Ethier in left field. For Ethier, it’s his sixth start since returning from the disabled list. He has literally started once per series, which figures to be the plan to get ready for what is likely a reserve role in the postseason, after missing the first five months of the year.

“We’ve managed him well. Andre has taken care of himself very well,” Roberts said. “To keep Andre current, and get him some starts, to then be able to use him off the bench, that gives him and us the best opportunity.” Ethier is 8-for-25 with two home runs and a double since returning, including a pinch-hit home run on Thursday in Philadelphia. Roberts said the team would likely be back to using the usual lineup — depending on the handedness of the opposing pitcher, of course — on Saturday. “Where we’re at, it’s important for us to get back to playing good baseball. There is something to getting some rest but we are going to have three, four days after the regular season to get that recovery back,” Roberts told MLB Network Radio on Friday. “For us more importantly, it’s about playing good baseball and getting our guys in roles they might see during the postseason which goes to the bench and the bullpen guys.. That’s what I can envision the next 10 days.” Rich Hill to make Dodgers’ 100th start by LHP in 2017 By Eric Stephen Rich Hill gets the ball for the Dodgers on Friday night against the Giants, and in doing so the Dodgers will reach a milestone they haven’t seen in 52 years. Hill will make his 24th start of the season in the series opener, and the 100th start by a Dodgers left-handed pitcher in 2017. That’s the most in baseball, just ahead of the Red Sox (99 starts). San Francisco is a distant third with 70 starts from left-handed pitchers this season. The only other Dodgers team to have 100 or more starts from left-handed pitchers was in 1965, when Sandy Koufax (41 starts), Claude Osteen (40) and Johnny Podres (22) carried the load on a team that made 112 southpaw starts. In the last 30 years, only seven other teams have had left-handers start at least 100 games — the 2015 White Sox (116 starts), the 2013 White Sox (109), the 1991 Braves (109), the 2004 Royals (108), the 1991 Angels (107), the 2003 Athletics (105) and 2008 Indians (100). Hill has allowed two total runs in two starts against the Giants in 2017, with nine strikeouts and two walks in 10⅔ innings. Since joining the Dodgers at last season’s trade deadline, Hill has a 1.69 ERA in five starts, with 22 strikeouts and four walks in 26⅔ innings. Jeff Samardzija starts for the Giants. He faced the Dodgers once this season, allowing just an unearned run in eight innings on May 3 in Los Angeles, with a season high 11 strikeouts and no walks. Home cooking? The Dodgers on Friday are looking for their first win at Dodger Stadium in four weeks. The combination of a long road trip following a disastrous homestand has the club going through Randy Newman withdrawals since beating Milwaukee at home on Aug. 25.

With nine straight losses at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers have their longest home losing streak since moving to Los Angeles. They haven’t had a longer streak since dropping 10 consecutive games at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn in 1938. Adding to the growing weirdness of the 2017 Dodgers season, they also have the best home record in baseball at 52-23, and if the team can win at least half of their six remaining regular season games in Los Angeles these Dodgers will simultaneously own both the best home record and also the longest home losing streak in LA Dodgers history. Game info Time: 7:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA

DODGER INSIDER Dodgers celebrate fifth straight NL West title By Rowan Kavner As the bottles popped and sprayed, and the Hall of Fame manager celebrating his 90th birthday joined in the festivities, and every Dodger who played a part in a fifth straight National League West division title got lost in the moment, nothing else mattered. The early September struggles didn’t matter. The recent 11-game skid didn’t matter. The ups and downs of the past month following the Dodgers’ historically extraordinary start, they didn’t, matter, either. It was, in some ways, cathartic — the exact type of moment manager Dave Roberts thought his group could use on the way to the greater goals ahead. “Until we clinched, just to see the way the guys have released a lot of emotion tonight, there was so much build-up and anticipation,” Roberts said. “I think this is great for the team.” The past few weeks have been trying. But they also showed general manager Farhan Zaidi something he may not have otherwise known about his group had things stayed as swimmingly as they had through the first 126 games, when the Dodgers already reached 90 wins faster than any other team in franchise history and hit the 90-win mark before any other Major League team had even 80 wins. “I learned it’s a group that sticks together,” Zaidi said. “I’ve been part of teams that had skids that weren’t as bad that kind of splintered a lot worse, unfortunately, than what we saw from this group. These guys stayed together, kept playing, stayed consistent.” Perhaps no one personifies those traits more than Friday’s winning pitcher.

It was just two years ago Rich Hill was playing Independent League baseball. This year alone, he hadn’t gone more than five innings in any of his first nine starts. But just as he did throughout his 13-year career, Hill battled back and persevered. He modified his delivery. He found his command. And after Friday’s performance, Hill’s allowed three runs or fewer in 16 of his last 17 starts. “So thankful for the Dodgers to give me the opportunity to come back here and play,” Hill said. “It’s just something that I really appreciate.” He also appreciated this moment, in particular. Hill said it was a privilege to be able to pitch in the type of situation he was in Friday, knowing from years of experience how special it is any time a chance to celebrate is on the line. He took advantage, holding the Giants to one run in six innings to help the Dodgers clinch. By the time he left the game, Hill had more extra-base hits than the Giants did, tying the score in the third inning with his first double since 2007. “You take on more of a leadership role,” Hill said. “You want to be able to influence as many younger guys as you can and teach them the right way to play the game, the right way to go about business and how to raise your standards. That’s the biggest thing.” On the best team in baseball, there’s a fair share of seasoned veterans like Hill to go along with young standouts like Cody Bellinger, whose go-ahead home run in the third inning turned out to be the difference and gave him more home runs than any National League rookie in baseball history. “It’s good to celebrate this moment,” Roberts said. The clinch could’ve come a number of ways. The Dodgers didn’t even need to win, had the Diamondbacks happened to lose. But for it to happen the way it did — at Dodger Stadium, on the first night back from a 10-game road trip, on the night of Tommy Lasorda’s birthday celebration, with postgame Friday Night Fireworks bursting across the sky after Kenley Jansen earned his 40th save of the season to secure the NL West crown against the rival Giants — there couldn’t have been a more immaculate environment for a party. With the clinch, the Dodgers became the first team in NL West history to win the division in five consecutive seasons. Roberts joined Lasorda as the only managers to lead the Dodgers to two straight division titles in their first two seasons as a Major League skipper. “You can’t take this one for granted,” Jansen said. “Fifth year in a row to win this division, you’ve got to enjoy this. But we know what our goal is.” This was a celebration in every sense of the word — but it wasn’t the celebration. The veteran who finished off the clinch — and who’s been around for each of the five straight NL West titles — knows that as well as anyone.

Before the win started, Lasorda addressed the crowd at Dodger Stadium as his pre-game ceremony concluded. At a time most would say the words recited before every home game, “It’s Time For Dodger Baseball,” Lasorda used the time first to offer his own personal take. “You’re the greatest fans in the world,” Lasorda said. “And we owe you a championship.” Friday, they got one step closer. A symbolic game for one of the most impactful rookies in Dodger history By Cary Osborne Right after the ball exploded off Cody Bellinger’s bat, he watched the flight — cheeks puffed like he was making an explosion sound with his mouth. In the bottom of the third inning on Friday at Dodger Stadium, with a tied score on the board, Bellinger blasted his 39th home run of the season — a three-run shot to right-center field — giving the Dodgers a 4–1 lead against the San Francisco Giants. The home run moved him past Wally Berger (1930)and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (1956) for the all-time home run record by a National League rookie. But the homer was also symbolic of what Bellinger, who didn’t even make his Major League debut until the Dodgers’ 21st game of the season, has meant to the National League West champions. The homer provided the go-ahead runs in the Dodgers’ 4–2 win over the Giants in the game that clinched the Dodgers’ fifth-straight National League West title. “It’s kind of fitting to clinch the West (that way),” said Dodger veteran outfielder Andre Ethier, who lockers next to Bellinger in the Dodger clubhouse. “We started to win when he came up, and he had a big hit, hit a home run for us to seal the deal tonight.” It was the 10th time this season Bellinger has hit a homer when the score was tied. Bellinger hit his first and second career home runs on April 29 — his fifth career game. The second homer pulled the Dodgers to within a run of Philadelphia in the ninth inning and was one of three consecutive Dodger homers. The Dodgers ended up winning the game 6–5. “The game here against Philadelphia when I hit the first home run I kind of got comfortable,” Bellinger said. There were slumps this season, but not prolonged. Since that April game, the lowest his OPS has been all season is .856. His longest homerless streak was 10 games. “We’ve said it from the start, as soon he came up, he changed our dynamic,” said 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager. “His attitude, his personality, it took over the clubhouse and everyone sort of hopped on his back.”

The Dodgers are 85–39 when he plays, 83–37 when he starts. “I think he energized (the lineup),” said Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi. “I think that would be the best word for it. Coming up, being the power threat he is, running the bases, playing first base, but just the threat he posed every time he went up — it was just an energizing thing. Our win-loss record shows we really took off from there. It goes to show that one guy being that one threat can lift everybody’s game” Bellinger has a .958 OPS. If he ends up with an OPS above .950, he’ll be the third rookie in Major League history who has OPSed .950 or higher for a division winning team and qualified for the batting title. The other two are Fred Lynn (1975, Boston) and George Watkins (1930, St. Louis). Aaron Judge could also join that club. Last week, Bellinger told the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett his preseason goal for 2017 was to be a September call-up. The Dodgers had higher expectations. But nothing like this. “I didn’t expect 39 homers,” Zaidi said. “We thought he had a chance to come up and be part of what we were doing, but to come up and be hitting, to work his way into the cleanup spot that quickly and be part of our top of the lineup group that carried us through so much of the season was really incredible and way beyond expectations. “This is my 13th year in baseball, so I can’t go too far back, but it’s as impactful a rookie performance as I’ve ever seen.” Notebook: McCarthy reinstated, Hernández thinking of home By Rowan Kavner Brandon McCarthy hasn’t thrown out of the bullpen yet this year, but he could find himself in that role soon. McCarthy was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list Friday, while Josh Ravin went to the 60-day DL with an abdomen strain ending his 2017 season. “(Ravin) has been dealing with some hip and groin issues all year,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He’s tried to play through it, and to his credit, but it’s just not coming out the right way. We’re going to shut him down and get him ready for Spring Training next year.” Roberts said he likes the thought of another hard-throwing right-hander out of the bullpen with McCarthy, who has a 3.84 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP this season in 16 outings, all of which were starts. McCarthy threw in relief once last year. Prior to that, the last time he came out of the bullpen in a regular season game was in 2007. McCarthy’s returning from a blister issue that put him on the DL on July 24 (retroactive to July 20).

“He’s worked hard to get back,” Roberts said. “We wanted to give him a look.” Hernández thinking of Puerto Rico The words “Pray 4 PR” are written in English on the left side of Kiké Hernández’s hat. On the right side, the words “Don’t give up” are written in Spanish. Admittedly, it’s tough for Hernández’s mind to be entirely on baseball, given how Hurricane Maria has devastated his native Puerto Rico. Communication has been difficult in a country currently dealing without power. He said his immediate family was safe the last time he was able to reach them, but his fiancée has not yet heard from her mother since the hurricane hit. “It’s just an extremely … I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Hernández said. “It’s just a really hard situation.” Hernández is trying to do whatever he can to help. He started a crowdfunding page that he’s posted on his social media accounts to help raise money for relief efforts in Puerto Rico. He said 100 percent of the profits will go to relief. “If I do it myself, I have control to where the money goes to, and hopefully I can help the people that need it the most,” he said. The Dodger organization is also supporting those affected by the recent natural disasters in Puerto Rico and Mexico. Tommy’s 90th The Dodgers celebrated Tommy Lasorda’s 90th birthday Friday with a pre-game ceremony. After the game, the music for Friday Night Fireworks presented by Denny’s will be set to Lasorda’s favorite musician, Frank Sinatra. “It’s considerably bigger than a group of guys in the clubhouse,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “It’s more the city, the organization and Major League Baseball in general. He means a lot. He’s been a very big advocate for many years. Speaking more micro as far as Los Angeles and the Dodgers, he’s been in the forefront. For us to celebrate his birthday with a victory tonight would be even more special.” In addition, bench coach Bob Geren and Dodger legend “Sweet” Lou Johnson are also celebrating their birthdays Friday. Seager returns, Turner out with an illness By Rowan Kavner 09/22 Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. PT: Chris Taylor CF

Corey Seager SS Cody Bellinger 1B Curtis Granderson RF Andre Ethier LF Yasmani Grandal C Chase Utley 2B Logan Forsythe 3B Rich Hill P Justin Turner took a pitch off his right hand Thursday, but that’s not the main reason he’s out of Friday’s lineup. In addition to the hit by pitch that eventually forced him out of the series finale in Philadelphia, Turner’s also dealing with an illness, which is the primary cause of his absence Friday as the Dodgers return home to host the Giants with a chance to clinch their fifth straight division title. Turner was hit by a pitch Thursday in Philadelphia. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers) “Justin’s hand is sore today,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Exchanged some text messages with him and last night (he) didn’t sleep well and had some viral thing working. That’s actually what’s keeping him out of the lineup more so than the thumb.” Roberts said Turner will likely be given the full night off, but he expects Turner to return to the lineup Saturday. The better news for the Dodgers is Corey Seager, who missed Thursday’s game after fouling a pitch off his ankle, is back in the lineup. Roberts said Seager is still feeling some soreness, but he can play through it per his tolerance. Seager will be trying to help the Dodgers snap a nine-game home losing streak. A win or an Arizona loss Friday will give the Dodgers their 16th National League West crown. A win would also give the Dodgers the season series victory against the Giants for the first time since 2014. Despite the recent home skid, Dodger Stadium has really been “Blue Heaven on Earth” most of the year for the Dodgers, who still hold the best record and best home record in the Majors. The Dodgers are 97–56 overall and 52–23 at home this year. They’ll try to avoid a 10th straight home loss, something they haven’t done since their days in Brooklyn from May 21-June 17, 1938. Roberts said there’s a sense of urgency right now to try to finish the season strong after the early September struggles. “Once we do clinch and celebrate, there will be joy,” Roberts said. “But I think that we really want to feel good about things and the way we’re playing … I think we understand what we’ve accomplished to get to this point. Any time you have a chance to win a division, it’s a big deal. But the bigger deal, the bigger win is to go into October playing good baseball and to go deep. So, that’s our focus.”

Lineup notes Left-handed batters Andre Ethier and Curtis Granderson are both in the lineup Friday, with Yasiel Puig getting the day off. Ethier is hitting .320 with a .600 slugging percentage since coming off the disabled list to start September. “We’ve managed him well,” Roberts said. “I think that Andre is taking care of himself very well. Like I said a couple weeks ago, we need to get Curtis going. I think you’ve seen an uptick over the last few days in the at-bats. To still keep Andre, as I always say, ‘current’ and to get him some starts, to then be able to use him off the bench, I think that gives him and us the best opportunity.” On the hill Rich Hill can give the Dodgers their NL crown Friday, making his 24th start of the season and looking for his 11th win of the year. Hill allowed just one run on one hit in five innings with seven strikeouts in his last outing and has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 of his last 16 starts. Since joining the Dodgers last season, Hill is 2–1 with a 1.69 ERA in five starts against San Francisco. LADF: Dodgers supporting those affected by recent natural disasters By Erin Edwards The Dodgers today joined their players in supporting those affected by recent natural disasters and pledged $100,000 to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the devastating earthquake in Mexico. Dodger players, coaches and broadcasters have been active in showing support for their home countries, including Kiké Hernández (Puerto Rico), Adrián González (Mexico), Fernando Valenzuela (Mexico), Julio Urías (Mexico) and Juan Castro (Mexico), and encourage the team’s fans to join in their relief efforts at Dodger Stadium during the upcoming homestand or online at RedCross.org/Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) will contribute the proceeds of its silent auctions on Sept. 23, Sept. 24 and Sept. 26 toward the relief efforts, while the Red Cross will be on-site to accept monetary donations Saturday at La Gran Fiesta and Tuesday at locations throughout the stadium (listed below), which will be staffed by Dodger alumni. LADF’s silent auctions will include game-worn jerseys and autographed memorabilia. Sample of game worn jerseys up for bid. In addition to the regular auction location on the Club Level outside the Vin Scully Press Box, LADF will hold auctions on the Left Field Plaza and in the Lexus Dugout Club and on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. Auction items include Dodger game-used jerseys, autographed jerseys, baseballs and photos. Saturday/Sunday/Tuesday Silent Auction locations/timings: Left Field Plaza: Saturday (4:10 p.m. — 7:00 p.m.); Sunday (11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.); Tuesday (5:10 p.m. — 8:00 p.m.)

Club Level: Saturday (4:10 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.); Sunday (11:00 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.); Tuesday (5:10 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.) Lexus Dugout Club: Saturday (4:10 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.); Sunday (11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.); Tuesday (5:10 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.) Red Cross Donation booth locations/timings: Saturday: La Gran Fiesta (2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.) Tuesday: Next to LADF Silent Auction locations (LF Plaza, Club Level, Lexus Dugout Club), and behind home plate on Loge (5:10 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) and Reserve (5:10 p.m.-8:30 p.m.) For more information, follow along on LADF Social Media: Instagram: @dodgersfoundation, Twitter: @DodgersFdn and Facebook: /LosAngelesDodgersFoundation. Dodger Stadium food specials: Sept. 22–27 The final regular season homestand of the year against the Giants and Padres brings new food specials to Dodger Stadium. Take a look at what will be available from Sept. 22–27. San Francisco series: 9/22–24 Brunch At The Park · Kings Hawaiian bun dipped in French toast batter stuffed with Farmer John’s breakfast sausage, fresh berries, maple syrup and powdered sugar. · Available Field section 22 and 23 and Loge section 136 San Diego series: 9/25–27 Nacho Tots · Golden fried tater tots with carne asada, nacho cheese, Pico de Gallo, and sour cream · Available Field section 10, Loge section 136 and Reserve section 31 Hispanic Heritage Night: 9/27 Spicy Rita · Lemon Lime margarita rimmed with chili lime seasoning · Available throughout the stadium

YAHOO SPORTS

Dodgers continue NL West dominance with fifth straight division title By Mark Townsend The National League West once again belongs to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers put the finishing touches on their fifth straight division title with a 4-2 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. Remarkable rookie Cody Bellinger fittingly delivered one of the key hits, connecting for NL-rookie record 39th home run of the season. While on the hill, it was Rich Hill spinning another gem. The clinch didn’t come nearly as early as we anticipated, but the timing still worked out pretty well. The Dodgers were able to clinch on the 90th birthday of legendary manager Tommy Lasorda, giving them two great reasons to celebrate. Los Angeles gained separation from the division and even threatened to challenge history thanks to their sizzling 69-18 stretch that covered most of the summer. A recent 1-16 slump emphatically halted any chance to match or surpass the Mariners record 116-win campaign in 2001, but it only served to delay the inevitable in the division race. The Dodgers became the fourth team to clinch their division this season, joining the Nationals, Indians and Astros. Only the AL East and NL Central remain undecided. Los Angeles secured its postseason berth on Sept. 12 and is still positioned to lock up home field advantage throughout the entire postseason. Of course, the Dodgers success will be measured exclusively by their performance in the postseason. That’s the reality for any team, but it’s especially true when a team builds a perennial contender that continuously falls short of the goal. Just ask the Braves of the 90s and early 2000s how that goes. Despite winning 14 division titles in 15 years, the Braves managed only one World Series championship during that stretch. The Dodgers have made eight postseason appearances dating back to 2004, getting as far as the NLCS four times. That’s not good enough for this franchise. No one involved will be satisfied with anything less than the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1988. The good news is this Dodgers squad is much deeper than any of those recent contenders. Manager Dave Roberts can back up Clayton Kershaw with another ace in Yu Darvish, who despite his recent struggles is still capable of dominating an opponent. Then there’s 15-game winner Alex Wood and Friday’s winner Rich Hill. Roberts also has several options to bridge the gap from starter to all-world closer Kenley Jansen, and a versatile lineup that boasts six 20-homer hitters. It’s a team built to withstand the rigors of the entire baseball season, from March through October, after injuries besieged the roster in the 2016. The added depth helped them overcome injuries this season and the unexpected boosts provided by Bellinger and breakout utility man Chris Taylor have really solidified the roster.

Those are all good things. But everyone knows the postseason is an entirely different ballgame. It’s not often about depth or who dominated the regular season. It’s about which team plays the best baseball when it matters the most, and that’s something that the Dodgers will have to do to make this a truly successful season. Why the Dodgers' losing streak just doesn’t matter In this week’s Open Mike, Big League Stew’s Mike Oz explains why the Dodgers will not be measured by their recent struggles down the stretch.

LA TIMES

Dodgers clinch NL West for fifth straight season By Matt Snyder We've all heard or even used the phrase and perhaps it applies here: All's well that ends well. The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the National League West in this 2017 Major League Baseball season. They did so with a 4-2 win over the Giants on Friday night in Dodger Stadium. Cody Bellinger hit his 39th home run to set an NL record. Once again, the Dodgers are the NL West champions. It's a phrase Dodgers fans were surely hoping to hear once the season began and were expecting to hear by the middle of June at the latest. The Dodgers are, of course, now heading to the playoffs for the fifth straight season and the ninth time in the last 14 years. How the Dodgers got here, though, is unbelievably complicated. We've beaten the story to death, but it's deservedly so. This win-loss sequencing is unprecedented. The Dodgers were once 91-36. They then lost 16 of their next 17. They then won four in a row before losing four in a row. They were once on pace to win 116 games (in late August, mind you, not some small-sample fluke) and now it doesn't even seem a sure bet that they win 100 games. Of course, the Dodgers still do have a great chance to win 100 games for the seventh time in franchise history and the first since 1974. The franchise record of 105 is within reach of a season-closing hot streak. And the Dodgers could very well win the World Series. They have the talent and we've seen them play for a while like the best team in baseball. It's just funny that now it feels like such an uphill battle and if they don't win it all, this season will feel like a colossal failure. For now, though, the Dodgers can sit back and feel good about themselves again. Winning the NL West five straight seasons is an incredible accomplishment.

NBC SPORTS

Cody Bellinger Gets the Party Started as Dodgers Defeat Giants For Fifth Consecutive N.L. West Crown By Michael Duarte Pop open the champagne, it's time to celebrate! The Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth consecutive National League West Division Title as they defeated the rival San Francisco Giants, 4-2, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Cody Bellinger got the party started with his N.L. record 39th home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning, and the Dodgers never looked back. The historic home run set a new National League rookie record for homers, as Bellinger passed Frank Robinson and Wally Berger for the most in NL history by a rookie in a single season. Only Mark McGwire (49) and Aaron Judge (45) have more. San Francisco got the scoring started when they struck first off Rich Hill in the first inning. Gorkys Hernandez led off the game with a bunt single, and then scored two batters later on an RBI single by Buster Posey. Hill got the run back however when he hit his first double since 2007, a bullet to the gap in left-center that scored Logan Forsythe. Three batters later, Bellinger blasted a three-run shot to right field to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead. Hill (11-8) pitched well after the first inning, surrendering just one run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six strong innings. Hill is 5-2 with 2.45 ERA in 11 career starts against the Giants. Jeff Samardzija (9-15) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 4 and 1/3 innings. Kenley Jansen allowed a solo shot to Pablo Sandoval to lead off the ninth inning, but recorded his 40th save of the season, joining Eric Gagne as the only other Dodger to have 40 or more saves in three separate seasons. Yes, clinching the division was a foregone conclusion, but after racing out to the best record in baseball through the team's first 120 games, the Boys in Blue hit a roadblock over the last month, losing 16-of-17 and 20-of-25, recently. Nonetheless, Los Angeles has reason to celebrate. Not since the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007-11 has a Major League team won five straight division titles, and it's the first time in franchise history a Dodger team has done it. In order to do it, they had to persevere through preseason injuries to Andre Ethier and Scott Kazmir, not to mention midseason injuries to Andrew Toles, Julio Urias, and Clayton Kershaw.

All the while, the Dodgers showcased a crop of relatively unknown talents like Chris Taylor, Rich Hill, and top prospect Cody Bellinger. The MLB regular season is a marathon long rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, happiness, and heartbreak. The Dodgers have every reason to celebrate their achievements and their perseverance, but tomorrow the focus is about one thing: the postseason. Five straight playoff appearances are great, but L.A. fans are hungry for a title and the team's first World Series appearance since 1988. Happy Birthday Tommy Lasorda The Dodgers celebrated the 90th birthday of Hall of Fame manager and mayor of Blue Heaven on Earth, Tommy Lasorda in a pregame celebration prior to the game. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was on hand in addition to former and current players. Video board tributes featuring Vin Scully, Kirk Gibson, and Mike Scioscia were played throughout the game. Up Next: It's a marquee matchup of lefties on Saturday at the Ravine as LHP Madison Bumgarner squares off with LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu at 6:10PM PST.

BLEACHER REPORT

Dodgers Clinch NL West for 5th Straight Year to Earn Postseason Berth By Tim Daniels The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title Friday night with a 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, earning a berth in the 2017 MLB playoffs. The Dodgers secured their place in the postseason with more than a week left in the regular season, and they have much bigger goals on the horizon. "You have to celebrate every accomplishment," first baseman Adrian Gonzalez told reporters. "But it's World Series or bust." The Dodgers' place atop the NL West was rarely in doubt throughout the summer. They built a 14-game lead by the start of August and, even after an 11-game losing streak from early to mid-September and a 1-16 stretch that started in late August, maintained a nine-game edge over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Los Angeles (98-56) also continues to own the best record in baseball. It's two games better than the American League-leading Cleveland Indians and 5.5 games ahead of the Washington Nationals for the best mark in the NL. Now manager Dave Roberts is looking to build positive vibes over the final week of the regular season after the team's dip in form over the past month. "We've had a great season," he told reporters. "We still have a good opportunity to get some momentum going in the postseason. "We have a lot of work to do. This is only the beginning." The Dodgers certainly have the talent to make a World Series run. The Cody Bellinger-led offense ranks eighth in MLB in OPS (.768), and they have a ridiculous amount of depth in their rotation, which features Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood, who have all pitched like aces this year. And Kenley Jansen, perhaps the best closer in baseball, headlines a bullpen with the fourth-best ERA in the majors (3.47). In addition, L.A. has showed signs of life with a 6-4 record over its past 10 games—though it lost three of four at the Philadelphia Phillies, who have the second-worst record in baseball, it also won two of three at the Nationals. It was a step in the right direction with the playoffs right around the corner.

USA TODAY SPORTS

Los Angeles Dodgers clinch NL West division title By USA TODAY SPORTS The inevitable is finally official. By virtue of defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Friday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West division title, something that seemed all but official as far back as mid-July. The Dodgers appeared destined for a record-breaking season when they reached a season-high 55 games above the .500 mark (91-36) on Aug. 25. However, they proceeded to lose 16 of their next 17 games, including an 11-game losing streak before temporarily righting the ship for four consecutive wins. The Dodgers went into Friday night's game having lost four of their previous five and fell behind the Giants 1-0 in the first inning. But starting pitcher Rich Hill ignited a four-run third by delivering a one-out RBI double to even things up. An out and a walk later, rookie Cody Bellinger launched his 39th homer of the season to break the tie and give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead they'd never relinquish. In improving his record to 11-8, Hill worked six innings, allowing the one run on five hits and one walk while striking out nine.

The goals don't end there for the Dodgers, who have a magic number of four over the Washington Nationals to clinch home-field advantage through the NL playoffs. They also maintain the best record in baseball by two games on the Cleveland Indians, who lost 3-1 to the Seattle Mariners on Friday.