Dodgers magic number to clinch a bye to NLDS
· Yahoo Sports
The Dodgers on Monday beat the Reds to clinch a playoff berth for the 14th season in a row, tying the major league record also held by the Atlanta Braves, who made it to 14 consecutive postseasons from 1991-2005.
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Los Angeles won again in Cincinnati on Tuesday, which eliminated the Arizona Diamondbacks from National League West contention. Then the Dodgers beat the Reds on Thursday, clinching their fifth consecutive division title and 13th in the last 14 years.
Clinching a byeThe two division winners with the best records get a bye directly into the National League Division Series, which means beginning the postseason on Saturday, October 3 instead of in the wild card round on Tuesday, September 29.
NL division leaders
- Brewers 96-58
- Dodgers 93-60
- Braves 90-64
through Braves and Brewers games on September 18
The Dodgers do not have the tiebreaker with either the Brewers or Braves, which means they have to have a better record to gain a higher seed. The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch at least the No. 2 seed over Atlanta is six, or put another way the Dodgers need six of 17 outcomes to fall their way in order to finish with a better record than the Braves. Meanwhile, Atlanta needs 12 of 17 outcomes to claim the No. 2 seed.
Getting the No. 1 seed over Milwaukee is a tougher task for the Dodgers, who have a magic number of 12 to finish with the best record in the National League. That means the Dodgers need 12 of 17 outcomes to fall their way to earn the No. 1 seed, while the Brewers need just six of 17 outcomes to have the best NL record for the second year in a row.