Dodgers: Four of the Biggest Overreactions From the Losing Streak

The Dodgers Will Not Win the Division and Will Miss the Playoffs

Going all the way back to when this stretch started, the Dodgers were 91-36 (.717) and 21 games ahead of the Diamondbacks for first place in the NL West. When the month of August concluded the team’s magic number to clench a playoff spot was under 10. There wasn’t a concern of IF the Dodgers would win the division or clench a playoff spot, but it was a matter of when.

Well, the Dodgers just recently clenched a playoff berth on the night that Clayton Kershaw ended the streak. Regardless of how poorly the team played in their last 17 games, the club still had 94 wins on the season. Theoretically, the team could have lost every game for the remainder of the season and would have still been in a prime spot to make the playoffs.

Since 1996, which was when the Wild Card era began,  98% of teams that have won 94 games in the season have made the playoffs, per Business Insider. So obviously the Dodgers were in a good position to make the postseason, and this was just an egregious take.

Now the division, there was some reason for worry, but not too much. As I mentioned above, the Dodgers were 21 games ahead of the Dbacks and the Dbacks were able to slice that in half during this rough stretch. Today the division lead sits at 9.5 games and the Dodgers magic number to clench is down to 7. The Dbacks made a nice run keeping the Dodgers honest. But the boys in blue will be popping’ champagne some time next week. I’m thinking on the road against Philadelphia.