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The story
The Dodgers clinched their 5th consecutive NL West division title on the 17th (18th in Japan) with a lopsided road win over the Reds, backed by a barrage of runs and strong pitching. It’s their 13th division title in the past 14 years. Because the title came while Shohei Ohtani remains sidelined all season — having given up pitching entirely due to injury — commenters on 5channel’s live thread were split between those calling it “proof this team can win without Ohtani” and those firing back that “it’s because of Ohtani that this dynasty exists in the first place.”
On the 17th (18th Japan time), the Dodgers cruised to victory on the road against the Reds. Facing a magic number of just 1 to clinch the NL West, they won the game and secured their 5th straight division title.
Tucker, freshly bumped up to the No. 3 spot in the order, got things going in the first inning with a 2-run homer, his 16th of the season. In the second, a Freeman sacrifice fly to center and a Tucker RBI double tacked on two more runs. In the fourth, with the bases loaded and one out, Muncy ripped a 2-RBI double down the right-field line, and rookie DePaula followed with an RBI single to right to extend the lead further. In the ninth, Rojas — who has said this will be his final season as a player — added an insurance solo shot, his 4th of the year.
On the mound, starter Wrobleski was perfect over 3 innings on just 32 pitches, fulfilling his role as the starter on a scheduled bullpen day. Backed by the huge run support, the relief corps that followed held the lead, and the Dodgers overwhelmed the Reds on both sides of the ball to complete their 5th straight division title.
Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
They've won back-to-back titles since Ohtani joined, though.
That's thanks to Yamamoto.
They've been winning even when Ohtani's out too.
Dodgers win the division → AAAAAHHHH!!
Why is that
Well obviously, it's about whether Shohei Ohtani is playing or not.
Even today's Dodgers live thread wasn't getting many posts, since Ohtani wasn't in the lineup
Díaz
Snell
Glasnow
Pagés
Rushing
These guys deserve some kind of punishment, don't they
Don't hold such a grudge.
Pagés doesn't belong on that list though.
In the end he had to give up pitching for the season anyway, and it put a burden on the team too.
It's about time he learned to pace himself for his age. He's already a legend, after all.
Great American Ball Park was empty lol
They're 4 games ahead of the 3rd-place Braves, so that's pretty much a lock
They're 2 games behind the 1st-place Brewers
Just a hunch though
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HSctE10XAAATqH6?format=jpg&;name=medium
Looks like he's finally gotten his Astros-era swing back right before the postseason lol
Talk about balancing the books for real!
https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2100703346613161984/vid/avc1/1280×720/b2GHiCWSMKGl6vzg.mp4
In today's division-clinching game:
4-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored
Korean media is losing it, saying he should give up on this garbage team and leave.
You could tell from his Angels days — Ohtani being there doesn't really move the needle on how strong a team is.
They were already a powerhouse before Ohtani got there
though they hadn't won it all except during the shortened COVID season
Since Ohtani joined, they've won the World Series two years running.
That's just the fact of the matter.
Honestly, isn't that thanks to Yamamoto lol
Probably the most popular
and the most hated at the same time
because they're just too strong
The Yankees, the old most-hated team, have gotten weaker, so they've been getting a bit of a pass lately
Who's going to do it? They'll lose one-run games like this
They've got Yamamoto, don't they
They didn't have one last year or the year before either
They were already a perennial winner before Ohtani got there
The back-to-back titles might actually owe more to Yamamoto than to Ohtani
That'll trigger a strike, and people will stop watching American baseball
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
The Dodgers’ NL West title continues a run of success that predates Shohei Ohtani’s arrival in 2024, as the team had already piled up division titles throughout the 2010s. Because of this, opinions in the thread clashed over how much credit belongs to Ohtani — who has been unable to pitch at all this season due to injury — with some crediting the pitching staff, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and others pointing to the team’s underlying strength even without him. At the same time, some posters voiced concern over Ohtani’s insistence on playing through pain, while others expressed unease about heading into the playoffs without a clear closer — showing that even amid a division title, plenty of attention was paid to the challenges the team still faces.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[NL] Dodgers clinch 5th straight division title! Despite a string of injuries including Ohtani, it’s their 13th title in the last 14 years, cementing them as the NL West’s ‘invincible champions’“.
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