In what had been considered a foregone conclusion for months, the Los Angeles Dodgers officially clinched their seventh consecutive National League West title this week with a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.
By wrapping up the division in the 146th game of the season, it represented the earliest L.A. has ever won an NL West title. The previous record was 151 games achieved by the 1977 team.
Perhaps most impressive about the Dodgers’ accomplishment has been their dominance against NL West teams this season. Their 18-game lead over the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks at the time is the largest margin of victory for an NL West champion since the 1975 Cincinnati Reds (20 games).