Dodgers: Final Day Mania as Several Scenarios Exist for LA
![SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Manny Machado (center) #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammates after the Dodgers clinched a postseason spot by defeating the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fdodgersway-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F1043187556-850x560-702958a39d02897dc91d00fe555c0dbc.jpg)
The Dodgers and Rockies have played 161 games this season. With only one game remaining, the NL West is still deadlocked.
The Dodgers defeated the hated Giants 10-6 yesterday afternoon which sealed up their playoff berth for the 2018 season. At worst the Dodgers will be the second wildcard and travel to Chicago or Milwaukee for a win or go home game on Tuesday. With the Nationals dismantling the Rockies last night game 162 will be very important for both teams despite both having a playoff berth clinched.
The Dodgers have decided to save Buehler for either the NL West tiebreaker game, or the wildcard game on Tuesday. Rich Hill will now start today in place of Buehler as the Dodgers didn’t want to waste one of their best bullets when they could be ticketed for one or two tiebreaker games.
The Dodgers chances of clinching the NL West today took a hit when the Nationals decided to pull Max Scherzer from his final start of the season. Scherzer was originally supposed to pitch today but he has been scratched and Erick Fedde will now oppose Tyler Anderson in Colorado today. While the news is a bummer, the Rockies’ Tyler Anderson is 0-5 with a 8.33 ERA in his last seven starts.
Here are the scenarios that still exist for the Dodgers entering today’s games:
Dodgers win the NL West
The Dodgers will win the NL West today if they complete their sweep of the Giants, and the Rockies lose their regular season finale to the Nationals. The Dodgers must win today or else they have no shot of winning the west before Monday.
Dodgers lose the NL West
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Just as the Dodgers have a chance to wrap up the division today, there is also a chance they lose their chance at a sixth straight NL West title. If the Dodgers drop their game in San Francisco and the Rockies win, then the Dodgers will be locked into the second wildcard spot and travel to Chicago or Milwaukee for the wildcard game on Tuesday.
Dodgers and Rockies finish tied in first
If the Dodgers and Rockies both win or both lose on Sunday then the two clubs will be forced to play a tiebreaker game Monday in Los Angeles, to decide who wins the NL West. The game would be at 1:09 PM PST and the winner of the tiebreaker game would host the Atlanta Braves in the first round of the playoffs.
The loser of the NL West tiebreaker game would then play in the wildcard game against the Brewers or Cubs. The Cubs and Brewers are also tied for first in the NL Central and there could be two division tiebreaker games on Monday.
The Dodgers' big three in their rotation carry playoff hopes. dark. Next
Regardless of what happens today, the Dodgers will be in the postseason once again. While they would love to win the division and avoid the NL wildcard single elimination game, it’s nice having that option in their back pocket. It’s been an up and down season, but in the last game of the season, the Dodgers have a shot to be where they should be.