Dodger Stadium has record-breaking week

It was a week for breaking records at Dodger Stadium.

After beating the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Sunday night, the Dodgers won their 106th game of the season. That ties a franchise record for wins.

It also tied a major league record for most complete seasons in a row with at least 105 wins. The key word there being complete.

The Dodgers won 106 games in 2019, 2021 and 105 in 2022. In the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, the Dodgers won 60 games. 

They have nine games left to break the franchise record of 106 wins in a season.

The only other team to win at least 105 games in three consecutive seasons was the Cardinals from 1942-44. 

Dodger Stadium was also the setting for another milestone moment. Albert Pujols, playing for the Cardinals, hit the 700th home run of his career on Friday night in an 11-0 blowout against the Dodgers.

Pujols, who played for the Dodgers last season, hit two home runs in the game and became only the fourth player to hit 700 career home runs. He joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only other players to reach that mark.

On Monday, Maury Wills died. The three-time World Series champion for the Dodgers broke the major league record for stolen bases in a season with 104 in 1962. His death reminded fans of how important he was to the great Dodger teams when the team moved to Los Angeles. He was on the World Series teams in 1959, 1963 and 1965. But his best season came in 1962.

In addition to breaking the stolen base record, he won the NL MVP. He played in 165 games that year. The season was extended three games to decide the National League pennant after the San Francisco Giants and Dodgers were tied for first place after 162 games. Wills played every game of that season. But the Dodgers lost the pennant to the Giants.

Wills also had 759 plate appearances, recorded 695 at-bats and scored 130 runs, the second most in the National League in 1962. He also hit .299.

Wills played 14 seasons in the major leagues. He had 2,134 hits in his career, scored 1,067 runs and stole 586 bases, the 20th most in major league history. By comparison, Rickey Henderson has the most career stolen bases with 1,406. Lou Brock is second with 938.

Wills led the National League in stolen bases six times and had a .281 career batting average. 

His career deserves Hall of Fame consideration. He might not have the typical Hall of Fame numbers, 3,000 hits, .300 batting average, but he does have the stolen base record and was the ideal leadoff hitter for more than a decade. That should be enough to put him in the Hall of Fame.

Dodger starters power rankings:

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Juilo Urias
3. Michael Grove
4. Tyler Anderson
5. Dustin May 

The Dodgers (106-47) went 5-3 last week, playing a rare five-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, including a doubleheader on Tuesday. The Dodgers travel to San Diego to start a three-game series against those pesky Padres on Tuesday. They finish the season with a six-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium starting on Friday. 

Dodgers make a Giant statement

The Dodgers have never owned the San Francisco Giants as much as they have owned them this season.

The Dodgers are 15-4 against the Giants in 2022. It is the most times the Dodgers have beaten the Giants in one season since they started playing each other in 1884.

The Dodgers have won seven games in a row against the Giants, including 4-3 in extra innings on Sunday night in a rain-delayed game at Oracle Park on Sunday.

It seemed even the baseball gods were trying to make the Dodgers domination stop.

But extra innings, which have been the Dodgers kryptonite over the past two seasons, were not enough to stop the Dodgers winning ways.

The Dodgers swept the Giants in the three-game weekend series and outscored the Giants 16-5 in those three games.

And the Dodgers are 13-1 against the Giants in their past 14 games. It’s been a pretty lopsided rivalry this season.

In Sunday’s game, Mookie Betts broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI double in the 10th inning. The Dodgers scored two runs in the 10th to take a 4-2 lead. Max Muncy drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the other run.

The Giants scored a run in the bottom of the 10th. Dodgers closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning to send the game into extra innings. He earned the win, and perhaps more importantly, the confidence of manager Dave Roberts as the playoffs approach. The jury is still out on how much confidence Dodger fans have in Kimbrel, who has been shaky at best in the ninth inning. He has 22 saves, but has blown five and lost six games. 

Justin Bruihl got the last out of the game in the 10th inning to earn the first save of his career.

Andrew Heaney started the game for the Dodgers. He pitched four shutout innings before the game was delayed 20 minutes because of rain. He was pulled out of the game after the delay, a decision made in part because of his injury history, but he didn’t go quietly.

“If you don’t want to win the game you shouldn’t be playing,” Heaney told the Associated Press after the game. “It’s as simple as that. You play to pitch well, hit well, do whatever it takes to win the baseball game. You don’t ever go out there and not try your best.”

That’s nice to hear from the fourth starter in the rotation.

The Dodgers won their 100th game of the season on Saturday. They have 101 wins and there are 17 games left in the season for the Dodgers to break their franchise record of 106 wins.

They are also in reach of breaking the major league record for wins in a season at 116.

The Dodgers have to go 16-1 the rest of the way to break that record. It’s too bad they can’t play the Giants for those 17 games.

Dodger starters power rankings:

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Julio Urias
3. Tyler Anderson
4. Dustin May
5. Andrew Heaney

The Dodgers start a five-game series, including a doubleheader on Tuesday, against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. They finish the week with a three-game weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Interesting side note, former Dodger and Cardinals great Albert Pujols has 698 career home runs. He is on the verge of becoming only the fourth player in major league history to hit 700 career home runs and could do it in Dodger Stadium this weekend.

Dodgers clinch a playoff spot for 10th time in a row, almost

It’s clinching time for the Dodgers.

With their 11-2 win over those pesky San Diego Padres on Sunday, the Dodgers all but clinched a playoff berth for the 10th season in a row.

The Dodger celebrated making the playoffs after the game on Sunday, but because of an MLB error, there is still a scenario where the Dodgers miss the playoffs. The Dodgers can erase that error by beating the Diamondbacks in Arizona today. Still, the Dodgers were ready for the postseason after beating the Padres.

“It's a big accomplishment," Roberts told the Associated Press after Sunday’s game. “For me it's just making sure guys appreciate that it's not a rite of passage to get into the postseason every year and there's still a lot of work to be done. I feel our best baseball is yet to be played and just continue to stay focused.”

It is a big accomplishment to make the playoffs, even if MLB keeps making it easier to make the playoffs every year. But the Dodgers need to do more than just make the playoffs. They need to win some more World Series. 

The Dodgers magic number for clinching the National League West championship is two. That means the Dodgers can wrap up the NL West title as early as Tuesday in Arizona. Heat up the pool. The Dodgers are going to need it to celebrate.

The Dodgers are on quite a playoff streak. Only the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees have longer playoff streaks.

The Braves made the playoffs 14 seasons in a row from 1991 to 2007. They only won one World Series in that streak, and the 1991 season brings up some bad memories for Dodger fans. The Braves have a way of ruining the best laid plans of good Dodger teams.

The Braves lost four times in the World Series to go with that one championship during that run.

The Yankees made the playoffs 13 times in a row from 1995 to 2007. They had a better record in the World Series, winning four, and three in a row from 1998 to 2000. 

The Dodgers have played in three World Series since 2017 and won only one, in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. 

The Dodgers are making a historic run in 2022 though. They are on pace to break their franchise record for wins in a season, 106. They have a shot at breaking the major league record for wins in a season, 116 by the 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs.

But the only wins that matter for the Dodgers are the four in the World Series.

Still the Dodgers have been on a roll lately. They went 4-2 last week against the San Francisco Giants and the Padres. They are 6-2 in their last eight games. And they increased their lead in the NL West standings over the Padres to 20 games after Sunday’s games.

The Padres have not been much of a challenge in the NL West. The Dodgers have won eight series in a row against the Padres since June 2021. The Dodgers are 12-3 against the Padres in their past 15 games and 21-4 against the Padres in their past 25 games.

The Dodgers didn’t let up in Sunday’s game.

Justin Turner hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs. Chris Taylor and Trea Turner also hit home runs. 

Andrew Heaney won his third game of the season, giving up two runs on three hits in five innings.

With 23 games left in the season, the Dodgers have the luxury of resting some of their star players and setting up for the playoffs.

Dodger starter power rankings:

1. Julio Urias
2. Andrew Heaney
3. Clayton Kershaw
4. Tyler Anderson
5. Dustin May

The Dodgers (96-43) start a three-games series against the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Monday and head to San Francisco for a weekend series against the Giants starting on Friday.

Dodgers have a rough week, but finish strong

The Dodgers lost three games in a row last week. 

They haven’t lost two games in a row since July 25 and 26 against the Washington Nationals.

They haven’t lost three games in a row since June 10-12 in San Francisco against the Giants.

Those Giants are in LA to start a three-game series at Dodger stadium today.

The Dodgers went through a rough patch against the New York Mets and those pesky San Diego Padres. The Dodgers lost two games in a row in New York before coming home on Friday night and losing to the Padres to start a weekend series.

But the Dodgers turned things around in a big way on Saturday night. Just when the Padres thought they were on the same level as the Dodgers, they were quickly put back in their place, 19 games out of first place.

The Dodgers hit four home runs in a 12-1 blowout of the Padres on Friday night. Mookie Betts hit his 33rd home run of the season, a career high. He was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs.

“It's been an up-and-down year and I don't know how I got to where I am,” Betts told the Associated Press after Friday’s game. “I'm just enjoying it.”

He’s not the only one.

Catcher Will Smith hit his 20th home run, and drove in four runs.

Justin Turner and Trea Turner each hit two-run home runs.

And to rub it in, starter Julio Urias won his 15th game, giving up one run on six hits in six innings. He is 15-7 and has won 11 of his past 13 starts.

The Dodgers didn’t ease up on Sunday, beating the Padres, 9-4 in a bullpen game.

Trayce Thompson delivered the big blow with a three-run home run, his eighth of the season.

Smith hit a homer for the second game in a row, his 21st of the season.

And Justin Turner stayed hot going 2-for-3 and knocking in two runs.

The Dodgers outscored the Padres 21-5 in the final two games of the series, if you’re keeping score at home. 

On Monday night, the Dodgers host the Giants, who are coming off a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. But it comes after a seven-game losing streak for the Giants. The Dodgers meanwhile are 8-4 in their last 12 games.

Even though it looks like the Dodgers fortune has turned around a bit, it wasn’t all good news.

They lost starter and unexpected ace Tony Gonsolin to the injured list with a sore forearm.

David Price is also on the injured list and reliever Brusdar Graterol, who has been on the injured list, is not expected to return anytime soon.

Dodger starter power rankings:

1. Julio Urias
2. Andrew Heaney
3. Tyler Anderson
4. Clayton Kershaw
5. Dustin May

Andrew Heaney (2-1) starts for the Dodgers (92-41) against Logan Webb (11-8) and the Giants tonight. The Dodgers magic number is nine to win the National League West Division title. They have a weekend series against the Padres in San Diego starting on Friday and could have the division wrapped up by as early as Saturday.