The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bid for a ninth consecutive National League West championship fell apart after the San Francisco Giants’ win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
The Giants (107-55) missed a chance to clinch the National League West crown Saturday afternoon, when they ended their seven-game winning streak falling to the Padres 3-2 in 10 innings, but Sunday’s 11-4 victory was enough to secure the division.
After the Dodgers’ (106-56) late-night victory in Los Angeles against the Milwaukee Brewers (95-66), the club sat only one game behind the Giants heading into the final day of the regular season.
That set up a dramatic Sunday for the Dodgers, who were up 7-3 on the Brewers in the mid-eighth inning when the Giants’ game ended. The Dodgers ultimately won 10-3.
If Los Angeles had won on Sunday and San Francisco lost, the teams would have played a Game 163 on Monday to determine a division champ. The contest would take place at Oracle Park because the Giants won the season series 10-9.
Instead, the Dodgers will face the Cardinals in a wild card game on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m.
Before Sunday, the Dodgers were on a 14-game winning streak at home, tying a 100-year-old franchise record set by the Brooklyn Robins in 1921. The victory over the Brewers set a new record.