Dodgers Clinch National League West Division Championship

The Los Angeles Dodgers assured themselves of the National League West Division championship Tuesday night with an 8-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco.

Clayton Kershaw pitched a one-hitter, retiring the final 19 batters, and struck out 13 to improve his record to 16-7.

Kevin Frandsen singled with one out in the third inning for San Francisco’s lone hit. Only one other Giant batter reached base -- Angel Pagan on a third-inning walk.

The victory gave the Dodgers a six-game lead over the Giants, with both teams having five games to play.

Justin Ruggiano and A.J. Ellis hit back-to-back solo home runs for the Dodgers in the sixth off Madison Bumgarner (18-9), the 2014 World Series MVP. Enrique Hernandez hit a solo homer in the third.

The Dodgers added four runs in the eighth on Andre Ethier’s two-run triple and RBI singles by Corey Sager and Ellis.

Justin Turner drove in the first run with a first-inning sacrifice fly.

This is the first time the Dodgers have advanced to the postseason in three consecutive seasons. They had reached the postseason in back-to-back seasons six previous times, including twice when they played in Brooklyn.

Only the league champions advanced to the postseason until 1969 when Major League Baseball began divisional play. The postseason field expanded to four teams in 1995 and five in 2012.

The Dodgers are scheduled to open the postseason Oct. 9 against the National League East Division champion New York Mets.

Tonight’s victory moved the Dodgers to within one game of the Mets in the race for home field advantage in the National League Division Series.

If the teams end the season tied, New York would have the home field advantage in the best-of-five series because it won the regular-season series against the Dodgers, four games to three.

The Dodgers first two home games of the National League Division Series and first potential home game of the National League Championship Series are sold out.

A public sale continues at Dodgers.com for Game 5 of the National League Division Series, which would only be played at Dodger Stadium if the Dodgers have a better record than the Mets, along with tickets for other home games for the National League Championship Series.

Merchandise commemorating the Dodgers’ winning the National League West Division championship and qualifying for postseason play will go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Top of the Park store at Dodger Stadium. Fans can enter the stadium’s parking lots through the Sunset Gate at the corner of Stadium Way and Elysian Park Avenue.

City News Service