Giants Clinch 2021 NL West Title; Dodgers to Host Cardinals in NL Wild Card Game

The San Francisco Giants have clinched the National League West over the Los Angeles Dodgers after an 11-4 win over the San Diego Padres on the final day of the regular season.

San Francisco also secured home-field advantage through the entire playoffs by virtue of finishing with MLB's best record (107-55).

The Giants and Dodgers had each clinched a playoff berth earlier in September, but the battle for the division crown remained heated between the top two teams in the league. Considering the wild-card team could be eliminated in a one-game series, there was clearly a lot of value in winning the division.

Los Angeles will now host the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday night.

While the Dodgers are coming off a World Series title and have the more recognizable names on the roster, it was the Giants who held off their rival to clinch the division title.

They break a run of eight straight first-place finishes for the Dodgers.

San Francisco entered 2021 with low expectations after posting a losing record for the fourth straight year in 2020. The team changed the mindset right away with a hot start while posting a 57-32 record at the All-Star break.

Veterans Buster Posey, Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford have all hit at a high level all season long, while Kris Bryant added even more offensive depth ahead of the trade deadline.

The rotation has had more question marks during the season, but starters Kevin Gausman, Logan Webb and Anthony DeSclafani could be enough to carry the team through the postseason.

It will make the Giants a tough team to beat as they seek their first World Series title since 2014.