Let’s be honest here, since Opening Day 2023, it was never a matter of if the Dodgers were going to win the 2023 National League West Division, but when.

In the simplest of terms and meaning no disrespect to them, the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres or Colorado Rockies simply couldn’t hold a candle to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts‘ team, although they certainly made it a bit interesting at times.

When the Dodgers entered play on Saturday evening against the American League West third place Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park (albeit third place by [now] only a game and a half), the Dodgers did so with a ‘Magic Number’ of one. In other words, they would win the division if the Dbacks and the Giants lost their games against the Cubs and Rockies respectively even if the Dodgers were to lose to Seattle on Saturday.

Although the Giants lost both games of their weather-induced doubleheader against the Rockies at Coors Field, the Dbacks did not lose to the Cubs, meaning that the only way that the Dodgers could clinch their 10th NL West division title in 11 years would be by defeating the Mariners on Saturday – just as it should be.

The Dodgers defeated the Mariners on Saturday, but is wasn’t easy. In fact, it was every bit as close to a postseason game as it could be, with Seattle desperately fighting for a final AL Wild Card spot into the 2023 postseason.

That division-winning Dodgers win saw a scoreless game through nine innings of regulation play, with their first run finally coming in the top of the 10th inning on a clutch bases-loaded one-out sacrifice fly by recently acquired (from the Mariners) Dodgers pinch-hitter Kolten Wong, scoring Dodgers placed pinch-runner Amed Rosario from third base, to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

That lead was short-lived, when the Mariners scored their placed runner (pinch-hitter/second baseman Josh Rojas) on a two-out single to center by Mariners pinch hitter Mike Ford, forcing the very playoff-like game into an 11th inning; an 11th inning in which the NL West first place Dodgers finally played like the NL West first place Dodgers.

With future Hall of Famer Mookie Betts as the Dodgers placed runner on second base, future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman struck out swinging. With one out, Mariners manager Scott Servais understandably elected to intentionally walk Dodgers catcher Will Smith, with hopes of getting Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy did not ground into an inning-ending double play.

Instead, and as he has done so often this season, the popular Midland, TX native looped a single to center, scoring Betts without a throw, giving his teat a 2-1 lead.

The Dodgers would add four additional runs in the inning, two on a two-run single by pinch-hitter Chris Taylor and two on a two-run single by recently reacquired and extremely popular pinch-hitter Kiké Hernández to make it 6-1 Dodgers. And though the Mariners would score a run in the bottom of the 11th, the Dodgers were not about to be denied their 10th division title in the last 11 seasons.

“I’ve been saying ‘it could be the last one’ for a long time,” 35-year-old Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw said postgame. “Every year I say that. You just can’t take it for granted. It’s such a special thing to get to celebrate with a group of guys that work so hard throughout the whole year to achieve a goal like this. Obviously, it’s not the ultimate goal, but to be able to do this and get to have a night to celebrate with your teammates is so special.”

Although Kershaw started Saturday’s division clencher, he did dot go the requisite five innings to earn what would have been his 13th win of the season (with only four losses). Then again, and as noted, neither team scored a run until the 10th inning. As such, and with that five-run 11th inning, it was Dodgers right-hander Evan Phillips who picked up the W, this despite blowing the save in the bottom of the 10th.

But with the 2023 National League Division Series, the 2023 National League Championship Series, and hopefully the 2023 World Series yet to go, and in the words made famous by The Carpenters:

“We’ve only just begun.”

Play Ball!

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