Dodgers Reach 100 Wins, Await NLDS Foe

The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded their regular season with a 5-1 victory in extra innings against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, marking their 100th win of the season. This milestone, achieved in the final game of the regular schedule, provides a significant boost as the team prepares for the postseason. It is the first time the Dodgers have reached 100 wins in three years, adding to a recent history of similar achievements in 2017, 2019, and from 2021-2023.

Manager Dave Roberts expressed pride in the team's accomplishment, noting the adversity overcome throughout the year. "It doesn’t change anything as far as kind of our standing going forward in the postseason, but it’s still a nice feather in the cap to win 100 games," Roberts stated. "There’s a lot of things that we had to go through this year, and we just continue to remain steadfast and play on. And so, yeah, that’s something to be proud of."

The Dodgers' opponent in the upcoming National League Division Series (NLDS) will be determined by the outcome of the wild-card series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies secured the final wild-card spot by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, setting up a showdown with the Braves. The winner of that series will advance to face the Dodgers in a best-of-five series commencing next Saturday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers, as the second seed, will have a bye week leading into the NLDS.

"Obviously when you start the season, those two teams were probably picked to be one-two in the East," Roberts commented on the potential matchups. "They’re very familiar with one another, so it’s going to be a good series. Obviously, the Phillies had to play to the end, but like I said, there’s a lot of familiarity, and all bets are off when you play within the division. So we just sit back and … get to watch."

The Dodgers have faced both the Phillies and the Braves in recent postseasons. Last year, they eliminated the Phillies in the NLDS, and they have a history with the Braves, having met three times in four years between 2018 and 2021, including a 2020 NLCS victory en route to their championship.

First baseman Freddie Freeman highlighted the team's improved play in the latter part of the season. "I just think as a group we played better baseball again [lately], and that’s what you want going into the postseason," Freeman said. "Our pitching staff is amazing. Guys started to swing the bat better. Some of us still need to use these five days to figure it out. But a lot of good things happened over the course of the end of the season."