Dodgers Lock Up Sixth Straight NL West Title In 163
Dave Roberts could’ve done without the theatrics over the final weeks of the season, but they were all worth it for the prize at the end.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Monday at Dodger Stadium to win the NL West.
163 games brought the Los Angeles Dodgers staring down a Colorado Rockies team determined to knock them off their perch as NL West kings over the past half decade.
The Rockies would be denied by a pitcher they’ll become familiar with for maybe the next decade in Walker Buehler, who’s proving to Dave Roberts and company why they can trust him in a big game.
The Dodgers got a shutdown performance from rookie Walker Buehler and the offense used the long ball to back Buehler to secure the Dodgers sixth consecutive NL West pennant.
Buehler — who earlier in the season was the starter in a combined no-hitter vs the San Diego Padres — went 6.2 IP vs the Colorado Rockies, limiting their offense to one hit while walking out three and striking out three.
Showing he’s more than a pitcher, he’d help himself in the batters box by going 1-for-2 with a RBI and a walk.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman Max Muncy went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs as he hit his 35th home run of the season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers would hold the Colorado Rockies to 0-for-3 with RISP.
After a scoreless and breezing start through the first three innings, Los Angeles would get the scoring going in the fourth inning with a two-run homer from center fielder Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger took German Marquez deep in a inning that would’ve ended had Colorado Rockies’ catcher Tony Walters not allowed a passed ball on a strikeout to begin the inning.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman Max Muncy would add a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Marquez as the Dodgers continued to deflate the Rockies now up 4-0 in the game.
Marquez, undone by the error in the fourth inning, would finish the game with a line of 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (2 ER), 2 BB and 9 Ks.
Walker Buehler handcuffed a Rockies offense that finished second in the NL in runs scored, not allowing a hit until the sixth inning where center fielder Charlie Blackmon would send a stinging single to right center off of him with one out in the inning.
Buehler escaped trouble back in third inning as he stranded two runners put on base by a hit-by-pitch and a walk as he got second baseman DJ LeMahieu to ground out to end the inning.
The young right-hander Buehler, facing Colorado Rockies’ reliever Harrison Musgrave, would drive in a run with a RBI single with two outs that scored second baseman Enrique Hernandez from second base to make it a 5-0 game in the sixth inning.
The Colorado Rockies, despite a frustrating day in the batter’s box, would not go down quietly with three outs to stage a comeback.
Colorado Rockies’ third baseman Nolan Arenado would hit his 38th home run of the season, the most in the National League this season, off closer Kenley Jansen to begin the ninth inning.
Shortstop Trevor Story would follow Arenado’s home run with his 37th home run of the season to make it a 5-2 game.
Jansen, now in a save situation, would recover to retire the final three batters — striking out Ian Desmond and Gerardo Para — to secure the Los Angeles Dodgers 17th NL West pennant in franchise history.
Buehler, who has been lights out in the month of September, now has recorded quality starts in 8 out of his last 10 starts.
A season after going 104-58 and coming a game within a World Series title, it was a turbulent and challenging season for Dave Roberts’ Los Angeles Dodgers, who started the season slow before picking it up before the All-Star Break.
The team acquired soon to be free agent Manny Machado before the second half of the season to bolster their lineup, but it wouldn’t keep the Dodgers from slumping.
The Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71) fell to third place in August in a crowded NL West field with the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks in front of them.
The team used a 24-10 run from August 24th until the end of the regular-season to put themselves at 91-71, tied with the Colorado Rockies.
The Colorado Rockies (91-72) will look back on this season realizing their inability to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers cost them a chance at not only winning the division, but having home-Field throughout the NL playoffs.
The Colorado Rockies with another loss on Monday to the Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season 6-13 vs their divisional foes, a mark that led to Bud Black’s team failing to capture their first NL West pennant in franchise history.
Now losers of the tiebreaker game, the Colorado Rockies will have the daunting task of going from Colorado to Los Angeles to Chicago in a three-day stretch to play the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wildcard game on Tuesday.
The winner of the NL Wildcard game will have a date with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to open the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium.
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