Dodgers win 6th straight West title
Rookie Walker Buehler tossed one-hit ball into the seventh inning, Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy launched two-run homers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 5-2 in a tiebreaker to earn their record sixth consecutive NL West title.
The defending NL champion Dodgers became the first major league team to win six straight division crowns since the Yankees captured nine AL East titles in a row from 1998-2006.
Los Angeles now hosts Atlanta in the best-of-five NL Division Series beginning Thursday.
Denied their first division title in franchise history, the Rockies head to Wrigley Field to play the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card game on Tuesday night.
Pitching in 90-degree heat, Buehler was oh-so-cool in closing out a regular season that ended with Game 163 after both teams had identical records of 91-71.
The soft-spoken, 24-year-old from Lexington, Kentucky, has been so steady of late that manager Dave Roberts had no qualms about giving Buehler the ball for the crucial game that helped decide the Dodgers’ postseason fate.
He settled in quickly, retiring
provement made by prospects, and initial showings by 2018 draft picks.
Several young major leaguers took steps toward becoming part of the long-term rebuilding plan, including pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Trevor Richards and Caleb Smith, third baseman-right fielder Brian Anderson and center fielder Magneuris Sierra.
But contention still seems a long way away, and nothing on the field could stir South Florida from its longstanding apathy toward the Marlins. They finished last in the NL in attendance for the 13th time in the past 14 years, and the home average of 10,013 was the lowest in the majors since the Expos’ final season in Montreal in 2004.
Jeter, who has become a hands-on owner in every aspect of the organization, wants to create a more festive environment at Marlins Park. With that goal in mind, the franchise will invite fans to bring musical instruments, bells, whistles and flags to a designated section next season.
Better food is promised as well.
“We’re trying to capture the energy, the culture, the diversity of Miami, and bring it into the park, which is not easy to do,” Jeter said. “When our fans come, we want it look like Miami, smell like Miami, taste like Miami.”
The 2018 season was none too appetizing, however. And with payrolls expected to remain modest for the foreseeable future, any progress will likely come slowly.
Don Mattingly, for one, remains optimistic. He’ll return for a fourth year as manager in 2019, and he praised Jeter for consistency in his approach to rebuilding the franchise from the farm system up.
“Our first meeting was, ‘Donnie, we’ve got a plan, and we’re going to stick to it,’” Mattingly said. “And nothing has moved away from that.”
Here are things to know about how that plan is taking shape:
Cornerstone?
The Marlins want to discuss a long-term contract with All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto. A deal would send a signal that the roster might no longer be a revolving door as players depart when they become too expensive.
“We’d love to keep all the good players,” Jeter said. “J.T. and his representatives are very aware of how we feel about him.”
Feeder System
Jeter likely traded away two NL MVPs last offseason in the Marlins’ latest payroll purge. Giancarlo Stanton went to the Yankees shortly after winning the 2017 award, and Christian Yelich is the front-runner for this year’s honor after being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Christian is a great player,” Jeter said. “Everyone will tell you that. Look, we’re happy with the four players we got back. We feel they’re going to play big roles in the future of this organization.”