If fans of the Dodgers have been a little nervous about their team trying to clinch the NL West title, imagine how those of the Houston Astros must have felt in 1980.
The Astros had a three-game lead on the Dodgers in the West with three games to play — all against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers swept the series and forced a one-game playoff, only to lose that game 7-1, sending the Astros to the playoffs.
Dodgers first-base coach Davey Lopes was on that Dodgers team. He said the pressure in that final game was different than what’s going on now, what with the big lead the Dodgers have over the second-place Giants with just 10 games to play.