Dodgers Clinch Berth in 2018 MLB Playoffs with Win over Giants

The Los Angeles Dodgers made it a closer call than anyone expected, but they're headed back to the postseason.

The Dodgers clinched their sixth straight MLB playoff berth Saturday with a 10-6 win over the San Francisco Giants. Alex Wood was credited with the win after pitching 1.1 of scoreless relief. A four-run ninth inning helped propel Los Angeles to victory. Manny Machado went 2-of-5 and gave the Dodgers a 6-5 lead with an RBI triple in the eighth.

A year removed from reaching Game 7 of the World Series, the Dodgers spent most of 2018 battling to make it to October. They entered September one game out of the NL West lead and 2.5 games behind for the second wild-card slot.

The Colorado Rockies led the West as late as Sept. 16. But a three-game sweep of Bud Black's team in a late-season series shifted the tide in the Dodgers' favor. Colorado has since climbed back into first place and holds a 0.5-game lead.

Had the Dodgers missed the playoffs, this whole season could have been a miscalculation. The team went all-in on winning a ring in 2018, giving up elite prospects to land Machado from the Baltimore Orioles and adding David Freese from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Health has been a major issue throughout the season, with every regular starting pitcher missing time because of injury. No Dodgers pitcher has thrown more than 161.1 innings.

The bats have also been shakier than expected. The Dodgers rank in the bottom half of baseball in batting average, though their on-base numbers are much better.

Despite injuries and occasional hitting droughts, the Dodgers still rank second in ERA and sixth in runs scored. Their plus-176 run differential is by far the best in the National League.

So while the road to get there was a little uneven, the Dodgers should be considered favorites for another World Series berth once the postseason gets underway.