When the Dodgers are crowned the National League West champions, Shohei Ohtani won’t be with them.
With a 14-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night at Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles reduced its magic number to win the division to six, making it likely they will clinch the division title on their upcoming two-city, seven-game trip.
Ohtani won’t travel with the team, as he will be placed on the 15-day injured list.
The Dodgers have an 11-game lead over the second-place San Diego Padres, against whom they own the head-to-head tiebreaker, and a 11 ½-game edge over the third-place Arizona Diamondbacks, against whom they don’t.
For the Dodgers, the division title will be their 13th in the last 14 years.
Feasting on inferior competition, the Dodgers head into their week-long tour on a seven-game winning streak.
Games against soft opponents will continue. The Dodgers on Friday will open a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins. From there, they will go to Cincinnati for a four-game series against the Reds that starts on Monday,
Ohtani didn’t play on Wednesday night for the sixth time in the last seven games and Freddie Freeman was sidelined with a sore knee, but the Dodgers didn’t have any problems disposing of the last-place Reds.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto reverted to his postseason form from last year, as he limited the Reds to a run and three hits over seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked one.
The Dodgers broke out offensively, as Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández and Kyle Tucker homered.
Betts and Tucker in particular had productive nights, as each of them collected three htis.
Hernández also doubled and drove in a team-high four runs.
Teoscar Hernández extended his recent hot streak, going 2 for 3 with three runs batted in.
“Obviously, to see Tuck really some some life the last couple nights and Mookie doing what he’s been doing recently, which has been great,” manager Dave Robets said. “Just across the board offensively fantastic.”
