LOS ANGELES -- Everything happens for a reason. At least that’s what the Los Angeles Dodgers told themselves as they boarded their charter flight from Philadelphia and returned home on Thursday; their division-clinching champagne still on ice after laboring through a 6-20 stretch over the past month.
Their magic number, which they figured would have been a non-issue at this point in the season back when they were 91-36 on Aug. 25, finally had dwindled down to one heading into Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
They were in position to win their fifth straight division title at Dodger Stadium, in front of more than 50,000 fans, against their most hated rival.