Dodgers Officially Clinch 10th Straight Playoff Berth After MLB's Previous Error

With a 6-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers sealed a berth in the 2022 MLB playoffs—for real this time.

Following their 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday, Dodgers players commemorated what they thought was a postseason-clinching result. They were premature, however.

The slim mathematical chance remained that L.A. could get locked into a tiebreaker to determine the final wild-card spot in the National League.

The revelation merely delayed the inevitable.

Having made the postseason for nine straight years, the Dodgers were basically playoff-bound before a single ball was thrown this season. They are also on the verge of restoring order in the National League West after the San Francisco Giants snapped their eight-year division title streak in 2021.

By the All-Star break, Los Angeles was 10 games up on the second-place Padres, and the gap has widened to 20.5 games.

As with Monday's news, it's only a matter of time before the Dodgers formally sew up their division crown.

The drama will begin in October, when manager Dave Roberts and Co. will look to deliver a second World Series title in three years. At 16.3 percent, Los Angeles has the second-best championship odds at FanGraphs (New York Mets, 16.6). The Dodgers are the betting favorites (+360) at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The stage could be set for a Fall Classic rematch between the Dodgers and Houston Astros (+425), who have surpassed the New York Yankees to lead the way in the American League.

The Astros bested Los Angeles in seven games in the 2017 World Series. The outcome is still a sore point for many since that's the same year Houston was guilty of stealing signs. Despite the scandal, the organization didn't have to vacate its on-field triumphs.

Dodgers players would surely relish the opportunity to get revenge.

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