PHOENIX – The Los Angeles Dodgers reduced their magic number to one to clinch the โNational League West title with a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night, a โgame highlighted by dominant relief performances from Roki Sasaki and Clayton Kershaw.
Sasaki, makingโค a statement in his outing, retired the side inโค order on just 13 pitches,โข striking out โฃtwo battersโ with 99-mph four-seamers. He displayed a stoic demeanor as heโ returned to the dugout, receiving applause from teammates, includingโ Shohei Ohtani.
The Dodgers initially builtโ a 4-1 lead, extended by โคTeoscar โฃHernรกndez’s RBI double in the eighthโค inning, but the bullpen faltered.โ alexโฃ Vesia surrendered a single to Ketel Marte, walked Geraldo Perdomo, and โallowed โan RBI double to Corbin Carroll, all with โone โขout. Edgardo Henriquez then gave up โaโ run on a swinging bunt from Gabriel Moreno and another after Adrian Del Castillo reached on a controversial two-strike call and later scored on โขa sacrifice fly. The Diamondbacks erased a three-run deficit for the โคsecond consecutive night.
Manager Daveโข Roberts then turned to Kershaw, who hadn’t โขpitched โคin โrelief sinceโค the 2019 NL Division Series, to secure the ninth inning. Kershaw retired the side โin order, aided by a diving catch from Tommy Edman in center field, โdemonstrating comfort in a potential โขhigh-leverage role for the โคpostseason.
In extra innings, Blake Treinen escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 10th with a โfly out, and Justin Wrobleski closed out the gameโข in the โ11th after Edman’s go-ahead single, retiring โฃall three batters he faced.
