Pop open the champagne, it's time to celebrate!
The Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth consecutive National League West Division Title as they defeated the rival San Francisco Giants, 4-2, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Cody Bellinger got the party started with his N.L. record 39th home run of the season in the bottom of the third inning, and the Dodgers never looked back.
The historic home run set a new National League rookie record for homers, as Bellinger passed Frank Robinson and Wally Berger for the most in NL history by a rookie in a single season. Only Mark McGwire (49) and Aaron Judge (45) have more.
San Francisco got the scoring started when they struck first off Rich Hill in the first inning.
Gorkys Hernandez led off the game with a bunt single, and then scored two batters later on an RBI single by Buster Posey.
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Hill got the run back however when he hit his first double since 2007, a bullet to the gap in left-center that scored Logan Forsythe.
Three batters later, Bellinger blasted a three-run shot to right field to give the Dodgers a 4-1 lead.
Hill (11-8) pitched well after the first inning, surrendering just one run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six strong innings. Hill is 5-2 with 2.45 ERA in 11 career starts against the Giants.
Photos: Memorable Dodger Moments From 2017
Jeff Samardzija (9-15) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 4 and 1/3 innings.
Kenley Jansen allowed a solo shot to Pablo Sandoval to lead off the ninth inning, but recorded his 40th save of the season, joining Eric Gagne as the only other Dodger to have 40 or more saves in three separate seasons.
Yes, clinching the division was a foregone conclusion, but after racing out to the best record in baseball through the team's first 120 games, the Boys in Blue hit a roadblock over the last month, losing 16-of-17 and 20-of-25, recently.
Nonetheless, Los Angeles has reason to celebrate. Not since the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007-11 has a Major League team won five straight division titles, and it's the first time in franchise history a Dodger team has done it.
In order to do it, they had to persevere through preseason injuries to Andre Ethier and Scott Kazmir, not to mention midseason injuries to Andrew Toles, Julio Urias, and Clayton Kershaw.
All the while, the Dodgers showcased a crop of relatively unknown talents like Chris Taylor, Rich Hill, and top prospect Cody Bellinger.
The MLB regular season is a marathon long rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, happiness, and heartbreak.
The Dodgers have every reason to celebrate their achievements and their perseverance, but tomorrow the focus is about one thing: the postseason.
Five straight playoff appearances are great, but L.A. fans are hungry for a title and the team's first World Series appearance since 1988.
Happy Birthday Tommy Lasorda
The Dodgers celebrated the 90th birthday of Hall of Fame manager and mayor of Blue Heaven on Earth, Tommy Lasorda in a pregame celebration prior to the game.
#HappyBirthday To U �� Happy Birthday To U �� Happy Birthday Dear #TommyLasorda Happy Birthday To U �� �� Happy 90th ���� #MyDayInLA #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/P87ZTlzAc3— Anthony (@hollywoodblvd1) September 23, 2017
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was on hand in addition to former and current players. Video board tributes featuring Vin Scully, Kirk Gibson, and Mike Scioscia were played throughout the game.
Up Next:
It's a marquee matchup of lefties on Saturday at the Ravine as LHP Madison Bumgarner squares off with LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu at 6:10PM PST.
