Sep 10, 2019 5 min read

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their seventh consecutive NL West title in fitting fashion, using two home runs by Corey Seager and a masterful pitching performance by Walker Buehler to beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 on Tuesday night.

After the final out, the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this season gathered at the mound for a subdued celebration that included a wardrobe change for a pending champagne celebration in the clubhouse.

Los Angeles, coming off consecutive World Series losses to Houston and Boston and seeking its first title since 1988, will likely begin the postseason at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 3 against the NL wild-card team.

The Dodgers, with a power-packed lineup and imposing rotation, gained sole possession of first place on April 17 and never looked back. Their final pursuer was the Arizona Diamondbacks, who started the day a whopping 17½ games out of first place.

This is the earliest that Los Angeles (94-52) has ever clinched the division, both in terms of date and games. The 1977 team did it in Game 151, and the 2013 club clinched on Sept. 19.

Last year, the Dodgers didn’t wrap up the division until the 163rd game of the season, defeating Colorado in a playoff on Oct. 1.

“I’d rather the early one versus the late one. We did the late one last year,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I like this one just so you can really get it past you. Give guys rest, put guys in roles and positions you might face in the postseason.”

Though an Arizona loss to the New York Mets would have clinched it for the Dodgers, Los Angeles emphatically took care of business on its own. Seager homered with two on to cap a four-run first inning against Ty Blach (1-3) and added a two-run drive in the third for a 6-0 lead.

National League

Philadelphia 6, Atlanta 5: Corey Dickerson homered twice to help Philadelphia’s wild-card push and the Phillies hit five home runs overall in a 6-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies entered three games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot in the NL.

J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper and Dickerson all homered in the first inning, Scott Kingery hit an inside-the-park homer and Dickerson tacked an insurance run with a solo shot late to help the Phillies win for the third time in four games.

N.Y. Mets 3, Arizona 2: Zack Wheeler pitched one-run ball over seven innings, Justin Wilson navigated four difficult outs for his first save since April and the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 3-2.

New York has taken the first two games in this key four-game set between NL playoff contenders. Arizona had won 11 of 14 and opened the day 2 ½ games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card.

American League

Twins end Buxton’s season: Yet another injury has waylaid Byron Buxton, and Minnesota’s speedster center fielder will miss the rest of the season recovering from shoulder surgery that puts his readiness for spring training next year in question.

The American League Central leaders placed Buxton and his ailing left shoulder on the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, when Buxton was having an operation to repair a damaged labrum that likely will require recovery time of five to six months. So the Twins, who took a five-game lead over Cleveland into the night, will be without their best defensive player for the rest of the pennant race and beyond.

“For the early part of the year, close to halfway through the year, he was one of the best players in baseball,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I mean, you can spin it any way you want and look at the numbers any way you want. There were very few players in baseball that were more valuable than him to that point.”

Buxton batted .262 with 30 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 46 RBIs and 48 runs in only 271 at-bats, with a career-best .827 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He partially dislocated his left shoulder when he crashed into the outfield wall while making a catch on Aug. 1. After trying to rehab for the next month, with a minor league assignment cut short by discomfort, Buxton rejoined the team solely as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.

Interleague

Minnesota 5, Washington 0: José Berriós surrendered only two singles over seven innings in his best start in six weeks, Mitch Garver hit the tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 in an interleague matchup of teams on postseason tracks.

Berriós (12-8) struck out four and walked one, the first turn of more than six innings for the two-time All-Star right-hander since July 31. He had an 8.07 ERA over those previous six starts.