Dodgers clinch record-tying playoff spot with champagne toast

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially sealed their record-tying 14th straight run to Major League Baseball's postseason with a glass of bubbly following a 4-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. The real party waits for later dates.

"It's hard to say it ever feels routine, but it is the expectation here," third baseman Max Muncy admitted. "I always laugh whenever we clinch a postseason spot, we just do a nice little toast. The guys that haven't been here, they kind of see that and they expect a little bit more. That happens when you clinch the division."

The two-time defending World Series champions now join Milwaukee and Tampa Bay as teams with secured playoff berths. They trimmed their magic number to three for a fifth consecutive NL West title and the 13th in 14 seasons. Los Angeles matched the Atlanta Braves' postseason streak from 1991 through 2005. The Braves made five World Series trips during that span, yet won only once, back in 1995.

"Thankfully we're doing a little bit better than that," Muncy noted regarding the Dodgers' three championships and five Fall Classic appearances during their current run.

Tarik Skubal threw seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits. He said the way the Dodgers handled clinching was definitely different compared to situations he faced the past two seasons with Detroit. "I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on. Forget it happened. We've got more to accomplish this season," Skubal explained.

Dave Roberts, entering his 11th year as manager, told the team during the celebration that they have achieved a lot but have not yet played their best baseball. "We go through a lot of players every year, and guys find a way to step up, and so that's the thing I'm probably most proud of, is the consistency of winning over the long term," Roberts stated. "Any team, any organization can win in a given year where things line up, but to do it every single year when you're expected to do this says something about the entire organization."

The Dodgers (91-59) sit as the second seed in the National League. They hold a 2 1/2 game lead over Atlanta and trail Milwaukee by two games for the top spot. A first-round bye matters any year, but especially now given their roster status. First baseman Freddie Freeman has struggled with right knee soreness, and two-time NL MVP Shohei Ohtani is on the 15-day injured list due to right biceps inflammation.

"Given where our guys are health wise, to get that week would be huge. We've still got to play well to finish out the season to get to that point," Roberts said before Monday's contest.