Dodgers Clinch Home Field Throughout Entire MLB Postseason With 5-3 Victory Over Rockies

How does Game One of the World Series at Dodger Stadium sound?

Yasiel Puig hit a two-run home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers erased a three-run deficit to defeat the Colorado Rockies, 5-3, and clinch home field advantage throughout the entire postseason on Saturday night at Coors Field.

By virtue of the Dodgers win and the Cleveland Indians loss, Los Angeles (103-58) is guaranteed to have the best record in all of baseball for the 2017 season regardless of the outcome of Sunday's final game.

It was an uphill climb for the boys in blue in Game Number 162 as Clayton Kershaw got himself behind the eight ball in the second inning after allowing a solo home run to Carlos Gonzalez and RBI hits to Jonathan Lucroy and Charlie Blackmon.

Cargo Solo shot pic.twitter.com/j79Lx4jAci— Dodgers (@DodgersVideos) October 1, 2017

Trailing 3-0, the Dodgers began to chip away at the lead as they scratched a run across on an RBI fielder's choice by Chris Taylor in the top half of the third inning.

"It was a free RBI," said Taylor with the infield playing back. "I was not trying to do too much, just put the ball in play."

After a six-pitch fourth inning for Kershaw, the Dodgers took their Cy Young winner off the hook for the loss when Yasiel Puig put the punctuation mark on the comeback with a two-run shot off German Marquez in the top of the fifth inning.

Puig 2-run shot pic.twitter.com/h2mUtLhntx— Dodgers (@DodgersVideos) October 1, 2017

In his final start of the regular season, Kershaw allowed three runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts in four tune up innings.

"I felt good, but a lot of hits and mistakes," Kershaw said of his final outing. "It's a good team obviously, but I felt like I battled through this one."

Kershaw will start Game 1 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Friday at Dodger Stadium, and stated his case for his fourth Cy Young Award as he finished the season with a record of 18-4, an ERA of 2.31, a WHIP of 0.95, 202 strikeouts with 30 walks in 175 innings pitched.

"I'm just trying to get ready for Friday," Kershaw said of focusing on his Game 1 start of the NLDS. "I think every year we're going to win the World Series, and this year is no different. It's just a matter of winning 11 games now."

Puig wasn't finished as he scored both the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, and an insurance run in the top of the ninth courtesy of an RBI double by Chase Utley.

Puig finished the night, 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk, a hit by pitch, two RBI and four runs scored.

Utley was replaced for a pinch runner, and Tim Locastro, who had to stop painting his parent's basement on Thursday in order to fly to Denver and join the Dodgers, stole his first base of his MLB career when he took third on Colorado closer Greg Holland.

Locastro has still yet to have his first big league at-bat, but is still being considered for a possible postseason spot as a pinch runner off the bench.

All-star closer Kenley Jansen celebrated his 30^th birthday on Saturday, and he celebrated with a four-out save, his 41^st of the season, tying Holland for the most in the National League.

The Dodgers set a franchise record for wins in a season since they moved to Los Angeles with 103, surpassing the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers who went 102-60.

"It's been a great regular season, it really has," added Kershaw of breaking the L.A. record for wins. "It's been the best I've ever been a part of. No one else other than Chase [Utley] has ever been on a team that won 100 games before. Nobody else in this clubhouse. It just feels like you're going to win every time you take the field."

Rain Delay?

The first pitch of the game was pushed back nearly 30 minutes for an apparent "weather delay" despite not a cloud in the sky or a raindrop falling on the field. 

"There's different stories with that one," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts on the delay. "I didn't see any rain. By coincidence that final score of the Brewers and Cardinals game pushed the start of our game back by 20 minutes."

Kershaw was upset after the game that the start was pushed back, but would not speak any more on the subject. 

Up Next:

The Dodgers will have a bullpen game on Sunday as all hands will be on deck in the final game of the regular season. Tyler Anderson will start for Colorado with first pitch scheduled for 12:10PM PST.