Dodgers Chase NL Bye With Magic Number of Three Over Braves

Los Angeles needs three outcomes to go its way to lock up the No. 2 seed and avoid the wild card round.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already secured a playoff spot and the National League West title, and now they are chasing a top-two seed that would earn a bye directly into the National League Division Series.

Los Angeles clinched a postseason berth for the 14th consecutive season with a win over the Reds on September 14, tying the major league record held by the Atlanta Braves, who reached the playoffs 14 straight times from 1991 to 2005. A win the next day eliminated Arizona from the division race, and another victory on September 16 sealed the Dodgers' fifth straight West title and their 13th in the last 14 years.

The top two division winners in the National League skip the wild card round, which begins Tuesday, September 29, and instead open the playoffs in the NLDS on Saturday, October 3. The Brewers lead the way at 98-59, followed by the Dodgers at 96-60 and the Braves at 92-64.

Los Angeles does not hold the tiebreaker against either Milwaukee or Atlanta, so it must finish with a better record to earn a higher seed. The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the No. 2 seed over Atlanta is three, meaning they need three of 12 remaining outcomes to fall their way, while the Braves need 10 of 12.

Passing Milwaukee for the No. 1 seed is a taller order. The Dodgers have a magic number of eight for the best record in the National League, needing eight of 11 outcomes, while the Brewers need only four of 11 to lock up the top seed for the second year in a row.