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LOS ANGELES – Even before the Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4 on Tuesday night, their magic number to land a playoff berth lacked the usual magic.
It’s zero, for the record. The Dodgers’ victory, combined with the loss of the San Diego Padres to the San Francisco Giants, saw them reach the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. When asked if this year’s team reminds them of a predecessor, third baseman Justin Turner declined.
“We’re kind of on our own way right now,” Turner said, “and we’re playing really good baseball.”
The Dodgers (93-53) are on track for 103 wins. Yet so far they are heading straight for a wild card spot – a special path indeed. Only twice in franchise history, and not since 2006, have the Dodgers entered the playoffs as a wild-card team.
With the best record in baseball, the Giants (95-50) have a chance to end the Dodgers’ back-to-back Western League title streak at eight. They lead the division by 2½ games with 17 regular season games remaining; the Dodgers have 16 games to go.
Perhaps that is why Turner was caught off guard when asked ahead of Tuesday’s game about the Dodgers’ plans to celebrate if they were to win.
“While you don’t want to take these things for granted,” he said, “I don’t know if we’re going to celebrate this.”
The team decided to enjoy a modest celebration after the victory, including a champagne toast. Turner said he shared a few words with his teammates. Director Dave Roberts too. Their words were aimed specifically at players who hadn’t been around for the Dodgers’ entire decade of division dominance.
“Enjoy the moment,” Turner said. “At the same time, know that there is still a lot of work ahead of us.”
The Dodgers never hung out on Tuesday. Max Muncy, Will Smith and Trea Turner have each hit home runs. Muncy has 33 circuits, third in the National League. He and Trea Turner each finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
The Dodgers have a perfect 5-0 record on the homestand, which ends Wednesday night in a rematch against Arizona. The Dodgers have won 13 of 15 games against the Cave Diamondbacks (47-98).
Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin (3-1) didn’t allow a hit until Ketel Marte entered the fourth inning with a single. The right-hander allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six. He needed 67 pitches to complete five innings and only pitched three pitches in a three-ball count.
“I felt I was really good at getting the first strike,” Gonsolin said. “It gave me a little leverage on the count, by working ahead of the count. I was definitely much more efficient today.
It was Gonsolin’s second start after returning from the injured list. He missed the whole month of August with a recurrence of inflammation in his right shoulder. In retrospect, Gonsolin said, spilling his fastball may have contributed to injuries that have limited him to 11 starts this season.
“It could have been a part of that, with me wanting there to be more cycling,” he said. “Now I feel like it comes out more freely, and I’m not as concerned about speed.”
Ironically, by not trying to pull more speed from his fastball, Gonsolin’s fastball averaged 94.8 mph – the fastest he has thrown onto the field in a single start since. his regular season debut on June 8. Its four pitches were operating on Tuesday, Gonsolin said. .
Marte would shoot the Diamondbacks in the 6-4 when he hit a three-run homerun against reliever Justin Bruihl in the seventh inning.
But in the late seventh, the Dodgers charged goals against right-hander Brett de Geus, whom they lost in the Rule 5 draft last December. Sacrifice steals by Smith and Justin Turner provided the final score.
Blake Treinen threw a scoreless eighth inning and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth in a no-stop situation. Jansen had missed the previous two games while on the fatherhood list.
For the Dodgers, it was a commercial effort, followed by the usual handshake line on the court. Their reserved commemoration of the occasion contrasted with the Giants’ closing party the night before – a group photo on the field and enough adult drinks suspended in the clubhouse to require goggles for the celebration.
“This is something that certainly shouldn’t be taken for granted,” said Justin Turner. “I played for a team in New York that never got a chance to make the playoffs. We’ve had guys in other organizations who haven’t made it. A few guys here, it was their first time. We want to recognize that and make sure the guys know it’s not something you take lightly.
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