A record streak in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a playoff spot on Monday, beating the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 behind seven scoreless innings from Tarik Skubal and home runs from Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez. It is the 14th straight season the Dodgers have reached October, tying the record Atlanta set from 1991 to 2005.
The win also eliminated Cincinnati. Los Angeles is chasing the first World Series three-peat since the Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000.
New York is in, with questions
The Yankees clinched as well and activated Aaron Judge from the 60-day injured list. Judge later left a game with lower leg tightness, a reminder that health will shape both rosters. Elsewhere, Pete Alonso hit his 300th career home run to lift the Orioles past the Mets, and Philadelphia placed pitcher Jesus Luzardo on the injured list without ruling him out for the playoffs.
For the Dodgers, the concern is the offense, which ranked 21st in the majors in OPS, and the absence of Shohei Ohtani, who is headed to the injured list. Their rotation is close to full strength again.
Series to watch this weekend
Several series from Friday through Sunday carry direct playoff weight: Brewers at Orioles, Red Sox at Rays, Blue Jays at Rangers, Braves at Astros and Yankees at Diamondbacks. The Marlins visit the Padres for a single game on Friday.
In the National League, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Los Angeles are fighting for the top two seeds, and the team that finishes third drops into the wild-card round. Milwaukee and Atlanta hold tiebreakers over the Dodgers, so Los Angeles has to finish with the better record to pass either. The Padres visit the Dodgers from September 22 to 24, and the regular season closes on September 24.