Dodgers Mistakenly Celebrate Playoff Berth Before Clinching

A tiebreaker miscalculation led Dodgers players to believe they had already earned a postseason bid.

With a massive 20-game lead atop the NL West, the Dodgers are girding for yet another postseason run.

After beating their closest divisional pursuers, the Padres, 11–2 in San Diego on Sunday, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts led a postgame toast to celebrate the Dodgers’ 10th consecutive playoff berth. The team sipped sparkling wine and received caps with the 2022 MLB postseason logo.

One problem: The Dodgers hadn’t actually clinched a postseason spot yet.

That became clear Monday morning when MLB announced that it had erred in calculating the playoff magic number for Los Angeles. The Dodgers technically could still lose their remaining 23 games and finish in a wild-card tie if Milwaukee finishes 21–0.

That’s a wrap from Petco Park, where the Dodgers destroyed The Friar and celebrated their 10th straight playoff berth with a sparkling wine toast.
Roof stays open since, you know, there isn’t a roof.#Padres pic.twitter.com/cMUwfNKTWq

— Bernie Wilson (@berniewilson) September 12, 2022

It’s a quirky footnote to another amazing season by the Dodgers. But perhaps it’s also unsettling in a sport such as baseball, which often defers to superstition.

As of Monday afternoon, the Dodgers still claim MLB’s best record, at 96–43. They can officially clinch their 10th consecutive playoff berth Monday night with a win at Arizona.

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