After a 6-2 win in Sport 5 of the American League Championship Sequence Friday evening, the Seattle Mariners are one win away from clinching the primary pennant within the 49-season historical past of the franchise and turning into the final crew to make its World Sequence debut.
This, after all, means the Toronto Blue Jays are two wins away from ending a stirring comeback that will give them the membership’s first American League crown since 1993.
And the reward for ending many years of heartbreak? Come subsequent Friday, all of the Mariners or Blue Jays need to do is work out a method to topple the seemingly unbeatable Los Angeles Dodgers whereas serving because the final line of protection for the work stoppage to finish all work stoppages. Higher take pleasure in that champagne celebration in Toronto, in whichever locker room it occurs!
The Dodgers will likely be well-rested for the World Sequence and within the midst of a historic run after they accomplished their march by way of the Nationwide League bracket by ending off a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 5-1 win Friday.
Shohei Ohtani threw six-plus scoreless innings and hit three homers within the clincher, and as superior as that’s, the Dodgers had been in place to win the pennant after he principally hadn’t performed something this month (no less than by his requirements). The 2-way unicorn entered Friday hitting .158 with two homers and 6 RBIs whereas giving up three runs over six innings in his lone begin within the NL Division Sequence approach again on Oct. 4.
But the Dodgers are 8-1 within the playoffs whereas trailing for simply 9 innings of their wins. Los Angeles has been fueled by a throwback rotation that’s mixed for a 1.64 ERA with an 83/21 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 66 innings.
Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto had been significantly dominant within the NLCS, once they arrange the Ohtani spectacle by permitting two runs over 22 2/3 innings with 25 strikeouts and simply 4 walks within the first three video games.
Among the many Dodgers’ 4 starters, solely Yamamoto threw no less than 100 common season innings. Ohtani continued his gradual restoration from a second Tommy John surgical procedure whereas Glasnow and Snell mixed for 29 begins whereas recovering from arm accidents.
That was 21 extra begins than the Dodgers bought from rookie Roki Sasaki, who suffered a proper shoulder harm in Might however has emerged because the membership’s nearer within the playoffs.
This was the state of affairs we envisioned that might spell doom for the remainder of the Dodgers’ opponents this month and for a sport whose energy brokers are salivating on the thought of locking out gamers and making an attempt to implement a wage cap following the 2026 season.
However don’t blame the Dodgers for constructing a crew with the presents baseball’s much less aggressive homeowners have given them and determining the easiest way to win inside the parameters offered.
Mookie Betts was given away by John Henry, who determined he’d quite expend the goodwill engendered by briefly turning the Crimson Sox right into a juggernaut by taking part in along with his soccer, hockey and racing toys.
The Braves, who generated greater than $600 million in income in 2024, determined to not re-sign Corridor of Fame-bound first baseman Freddie Freeman after he helped them win the World Sequence in 2021. Arte Moreno, not content material with making certain Mike Trout by no means performed a significant sport after his age-23 season, wasted the primary six years of Ohtani’s profession, nudging a routine-oriented participant who definitely didn’t appear to thoughts his standing as the middle of the Angels’ universe throughout city.
However none of those homeowners are going to look within the mirror and understand their function in constructing the Dodgers’ machine. And Bud Selig and, particularly, Rob Manfred aren’t able to the self-reflection essential to see how frequently increasing the playoffs has rendered the common season nearly meaningless.
The Dodgers had been a simple punchline once they adopted up 100-win seasons with first-round exits in 2019, 2022 and 2023. In order that they performed with their meals this season, gained 93 video games totally on muscle reminiscence and centered solely on being prepared for October.
To this point, so good. Better of luck, Mariners or Blue Jays. You’re going to wish it subsequent week — and are available 2027, so are the remainder of us.
