The Los Angeles Dodgers are accustomed to postseason play, but Shohei Ohtani will get a taste of it for the first time in his seven-year career.
The two-time American League MVP, who is likely to win the NL award this year, led Los Angeles to another NL West title.
Ohtani will look to put a bow on this campaign Friday night when the Dodgers (95-64) begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
Los Angeles clinched the first division by defeating San Diego 7-2 on Thursday evening.
The Rockies will send Cal Quantrill (8-10, 4.72 ERA) to the mound on Friday. The Dodgers have not named a starter.
Ohtani became the first major league player to hit at least 50 home runs and 50 steals in a single season, helping Los Angeles to its 11th division title in the last 12 years. He is also the first player to have 400 total bases in a season since Barry Bonds, Todd Helton, Luis Gonzalez, and Sammy Sosa did it in 2001.
Los Angeles will not have shortstop Miguel Rojas for the final three games of the regular season. An MRI on Thursday showed he has a minor tear in his groin/adductor area, and he will be sidelined until the postseason.
“It’s something he’s had all year, as far as dealing with symptoms, so he’ll take a few days off, and we’ll see where he is on Sunday,” head coach Dave Roberts said Thursday. “But he is determined to make sure he is ready for the postseason.”
Winning the division gives Rojas four extra days of rest — the Dodgers will open at home on Oct. 5 instead of Tuesday in the wild-card round — and gives first baseman Freddie Freeman a chance to recover. Freeman limped off the field in Thursday’s game after spraining his right ankle in the seventh inning.
He was wearing walking boots and on crutches in the clubhouse after the game. Freeman had an X-ray that was negative, and the Dodgers were optimistic he would be ready for the playoffs.
Colorado (61-98), meanwhile, is trying to avoid a second straight 100-loss season, and helped its cause by beating St. Louis 10-8 on Thursday. The Rockies nearly won the final series against the Dodgers, but Los Angeles rallied at home in a rubber game on Sunday. Now, Colorado wants to finish strong in front of its home fans and give veteran Charlie Blackmon a retirement gift.
“The games against the Dodgers at home have been competitive,” Rockies manager Bud Black said Thursday. “We could have won two out of three, but two of their big boys got us to ninth.”
Quantrill started Colorado’s only win in Los Angeles last week, but did not factor into the decision. He will face the Dodgers for the eighth time in his career and is 1-5 with a 7.18 ERA in the previous seven games – six of them starts.
– Media at the field level
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and the Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
“Food ninja. Friendly thinker. Explorer. Entrepreneur. Zombie junkie.