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Los Angeles Dodgers now eye home-field advantage after clinching

By Jason Reed

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Hitting coach and hitting strategist Brant Brown #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with his team in the clubhouse after defeating the Baltimore Orioles and clinching the National League West Division Title at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 10, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Hitting coach and hitting strategist Brant Brown #37 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with his team in the clubhouse after defeating the Baltimore Orioles and clinching the National League West Division Title at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 10, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Dodgers went into Baltimore on Tuesday and clinched the National League West in the process and now eye home-field advantage.

Fans have been eyeing the home-field advantage race for the last few weeks but now the Los Angeles Dodgers can officially make that their sole purpose, aside from trying to figure out the postseason roster, of course.

The team won its seventh consecutive National League West title on Tuesday, extending the third-longest playoff streak in MLB history while inching closer to the Atlanta Braves (14) and New York Yankees (13).

Obviously, the ultimate goal is to win the World Series. As a fan, I can understand and appreciate the importance of winning seven straight division titles. You can’t win the World Series without getting there first and I would much rather have seven straight division titles than seven straight years without making the playoffs.

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However, at this point, I think I would trade seven years without making the playoffs after this season if it meant winning the World Series this year. Of course, things don’t work like that and the Dodgers, who are young, could legitimately make the playoffs seven more years in a row.

To better their chances at winning it all the team is going to need to outlast both the New York Yankees and Houston Astros for home-field advantage, although it is not a guarantee than any of the three teams make it there.

Luckily for the Dodgers, they have a series against one of the worst teams in the MLB in the Baltimore Orioles to finish up. While they definitely could lose, the team should win the next two games, which hopefully can tie the three teams as the Dodgers are one game behind.

The offense is going to need to do its job and do what it did last night, where Corey Seager slugged a pair of home runs and Gavin Lux hit the first of his career to give the team seven runs. That should be more than enough to beat the Orioles.

And as part of our Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak series, here is who we think can get at least one base knock.

Jason’s pick (Current streak: 1): A.J. Pollock

The Los Angeles Dodgers obviously have no matchup data to go off of for opposing starting pitcher John Means, so I cannot go off of that. However, with him being a southpaw, I am going to go with someone who hits southpaws fairly well, A.J. Pollock.

Pollock has really been good for the Dodgers in the second half of the season and has been a reliable bat against left-handed pitching. However, he did go 0-4 last night despite a southpaw starter, which makes him even more prone to get a hit tonight.

There is no way that Pollock goes hitless in back-to-back nights when there is a southpaw on the mound in both nights. I am so sure of this pick I would bet my bank account on it.

Next. Dodgers Clinch the West: By the numbers. dark

Okay, maybe not, that is a bit absurd, but Pollock should absolutely get at least one measly single on Wednesday.

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