The Dodgers clinched the NL West with a dominant win over the Reds Thursday.
For the 13th time in the last 14 years, the Dodgers are division champs. The team was evidently ready to celebrate in the visiting clubhouse at Great American Ball Park as champagne showers and loud music ensued.
Kiké Hernandez pulled off one of the funniest stunts when he shoved a bottle of champagne down Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s shorts. Hernandez caught Yamamoto by surprise with latter unable to stop the prank from transpiring.
The Dodgers have the most division titles out of any MLB team with a total of 24. The Braves and Yankees trail the Dodgers with 23 and 21 division titles, respectively.
While LA is taking Thursday to celebrate, a roster full of veterans understands clinching the division is only part of the ultimate goal.
“It’s a big deal. It’s not easy,” Roberts said pregame. “I think a lot of people think it’s easy, it’s a rite of passage. But it’s not easy to win a division when everyone is gunning for you, to keep everyone motivated to play over the course of 162. It’s something we’re all really proud of. But that’s not the end goal.”
The Dodgers have their eyes set on a third consecutive World Series with postseason baseball quickly approaching. Though the juggernaut is considered the favorite to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy, everyone is waiting to see if the Dodgers will actually pull it off.
Clinching the division is a step in the right direction and hopefully Thursday isn’t the final champagne shower of the season.
