Dodgers defeat Rockies to finish typical year with workforce-file 111 wins

A group of 37,514 rose to its ft to salute the Dodgers as they walked off the field at Chavez Ravine on Wednesday afternoon, a 6-1 victory in excess of the Colorado Rockies putting the finishing touches on a historic standard period in which the Dodgers went 111-51, tied for the fourth-most wins in important league heritage.

What occurs in excess of the upcoming few months will ascertain how this Dodger crew is remembered, but what occurred about the past 6 months need to not be effortlessly forgotten, whether or not the Dodgers bow out in the initially spherical of the playoffs or acquire their second Entire world Sequence title in 3 yrs.

“It’s intellect-boggling, I assume, when you truly consider a action back and recognize how difficult that is to execute,” reported initially baseman Freddie Freeman, who finished an -for-13 skid with a double, a homer and an RBI one in 4 at-bats. “To earn 111 game titles and go 60 video games around .500? You gotta be great from start out to finish.

“It’s day video games just after night online games, obtaining in at 4 a.m., lengthy travel times … for us to keep acquiring up and grinding and winning that lots of games in excess of a training course of 6 months, it is definitely really hard to do. As a team, we can respect a large amount of superior items that took place this year.”

Some very good matters took place in the batter’s box for a club that appeared as if it may possibly be back again-sliding into the playoffs by scoring a blended four runs in three consecutive losses to the Rockies right before Wednesday.

Shortstop Trea Turner, who hadn’t hit a dwelling run given that Sept. 11 or driven in a run due to the fact Sept. 16, broke a 1-1 tie with a a few-operate homer to ideal-center field in the fifth inning and lined a one to still left in the seventh.

Turner struck out in his 1st two at-bats but drove a 3-and-1 sinker on the outer half from right-hander Chad Smith 407 feet for a 4-1 lead and his 98th, 99th and 100th RBIs of the season.

“I’m just not driving the ball, specially to correct subject, so to get a pitch about the plate in a hitter’s count and to strike it wherever it is meant to go is awesome,” Turner claimed. “It’s good to conclusion on a substantial be aware and get ready for the for the postseason and check out to keep it rolling.”

Freeman wanted to go 4 for four to overtake New York Mets next baseman Jeff McNeil (.326) for the Nationwide League batting title, but he fell a issue shorter when he flied to the warning monitor in middle in the fifth.

But with his first-inning double, third-inning solo homer and seventh-inning RBI single, Freeman finished with a .325 batting common and .918 on-foundation-as well as-slugging percentage, 21 homers, an NL-leading 47 doubles and 117 runs, 100 RBIs and an NL-major 199 hits.

Freeman and Turner (194 hits) are the sixth teammates to complete very first and next in the significant leagues in hits in the exact same season and the initial Dodgers teammates to generate in 100 runs in a season since Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp in 2009.

“My aim every year is to strike .300 with 100 operates, 100 RBIs and a .900 OPS,” said Freeman, a previous Atlanta Braves star who signed a six-yr, $162-million offer in March. “To check out that off in my 1st period with the Dodgers and to established a franchise record in wins? I do not think you could check with for a great deal much more.”

Properly, there is a person much more thing on Freeman’s wish listing. A championship ring.

“First tournament’s over,” Freeman explained. “Now the significant event starts off. No a single cares what your numbers have been or how several wins you have starting Tuesday.”

The Dodgers enter the postseason devoid of wounded ace Walker Buehler but with a rejuvenated Clayton Kershaw, who skipped the 2021 playoffs simply because of an elbow personal injury but will enjoy a popular position this October.

Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

(Wally Skalij/VFAB)

Kershaw gave up one operate and a single strike — a homer by Ezequiel Tovar in the next — in 5 innings Wednesday, putting out nine and walking just one to close with a 12-3 history and 2.28 Period in 22 commences.

The 3-time NL Cy Younger Award winner retired 15 of 17 batters and pushed his job strikeout full to 2,807, passing none other than Cy Young for 24th spot on baseball’s all-time list.

“It’s of course outstanding business,” Kershaw explained. “I really do not even know the correct term, but it is neat.”

Kershaw skipped four months soon after suffering a different decrease-again harm in early August but is 5- with a 1.54 Era in 7 starts given that Sept. 1, giving up 27 hits, placing out 49 and walking 8 in 41 innings.

“I didn’t rather make it via this calendar year,” said Kershaw, who went to the injured listing two times, “but I’m wholesome at the ideal time, which is massive for me.”

Kershaw’s next commence will be in the NL Division Sequence, but the Dodgers have not determined how to align Julio Urías and Kershaw for the first two online games from the New York Mets or San Diego Padres.

Urías has been one particular of the very best starters in baseball this calendar year, likely 17-7 with an NL-very best 2.16 Era, striking out 166 and walking 41 in 175 innings, a performance supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned would get his vote for the NL Cy Younger Award.

“Just to give you a peek at the rear of the curtain, it is more of who we sense is greatest to likely appear back on standard rest in Game 5,” Roberts mentioned. “It’s not opponent-pushed. It’s definitely not expertise-driven. It’s sort of exactly where we come to feel: Who is in the greatest location to do that?”