Dodgers' Magic Number Shrinks to 60
A soft series against the last-place Rockies puts the NL West clinch on the calendar
The Dodgers open a three-game set with the Rockies sitting at 59-32, riding an eight-game cushion on their last ten and a three-game winning streak. Their magic number to clinch the NL West is down to 60. Colorado arrives 22 games back with a losing record, the kind of opponent that turns a pennant race into a formality."
The magic number is arithmetic now, not drama. Every Dodgers win or Padres loss chips away at 60, and a soft slate against the last-place Rockies is exactly the kind of schedule that turns division races into a countdown.
Los Angeles is 29-15 at home and has run through Colorado all year, sweeping the season series in recent trips to Dodger Stadium. Kyle Freeland draws the ball for the Rockies on Monday and carries a poor career line against this lineup, with Ohtani, Freeman and Pages doing the damage most nights.
The Rockies, 22 games back and 15-29 on the road, aren't here to compete for anything but pride. For the Dodgers, the only number that matters this week is how many days it takes to make October official.