Dodgers and Padres playoff bound

Shohei Ohtani (Joe Glorioso/All-Pro Reels for Washington Times Sports, Wikimedia Commons)

We now know 83% of the National League franchises in the 2025 Major League Baseball postseason. Joining the Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, are the top two teams in the National League West–the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

The Dodgers qualified for the postseason on Friday when they beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 at Dodgers Stadium. Three Dodgers hit home runs. They were designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of Mizusawa, Japan, shortstop Mookie Betts of Nashville, Tennessee, and second baseman Miguel Rojas of Los Toques, Venezuela.

Ohtani had two home runs on the weekend and now has 53 on the season. Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners leads the Major Leagues with 58 home runs and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies leads the National League with 54 home runs.

Meanwhile, the Padres clinched their playoff spot on Monday night with a 5-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres got their game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning on a single by catcher Freddie Fermin of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela that scored left fielder Bryce Johnson of Cypress, Texas.

San Diego has now won four straight games. Also during the streak, they beat the Chicago White Sox by scores of 7-3, and 3-2 over the weekend, and then clobbered the Milwaukee Brewers 7-0 on Tuesday.

The Dodgers and Padres are currently battling for the National League West title. The Dodgers are at 88 wins and 69 losses, and lead the Padres by a game and a half. The Dodgers have two games left with the Arizona Diamondbacks and three with the Seattle Mariners. The Padres have one game left with the Brewers and three with the Diamondbacks.