By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The beat goes on as the Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up the 2026 regular season in dramatic fashion.
The Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-1 in 10 innings at Oracle Park, securing a 100-win season — the fifth in the past seven full-length seasons and the sixth during manager Dave Roberts’ tenure.
Roberts joined Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Joe McCarthy as the only managers with six 100-win seasons.
“I guess I’m in some rare air, some good company,” Roberts said. “A lot of good players, a great organization, and it’s not easy to win 100 games. And so there’s a lot of things that we had to go through this year, and we just continue to remain steadfast and play on. And so, yeah, that’s something to be proud of.”
Call and Pages Deliver in the 10th
The Dodgers entered the top of the 10th inning with the game still in the balance. After recording two quick outs, Los Angeles broke through.
Alex Call delivered a go-ahead double that scored Miguel Rojas from second base.
The Giants then elected not to pitch to Max Muncy, intentionally walking the veteran. Andy Pages made them pay, launching a three-run homer to break the game open and give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead.
The victory gave Los Angeles a 100-62 regular-season record, seven games better than its record last season when the Dodgers captured their second consecutive World Series championship.
Ohtani Returns
Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter after being reinstated from the injured list Wednesday because of right biceps discomfort.
Since returning, Ohtani went 5-for-21 with a double, an RBI, two walks and 10 strikeouts.
The Dodgers will now get the weekend off while awaiting the outcome of the National League Wild Card Series between the Braves and Phillies.
Title Defense Begins
The Dodgers’ title defense begins in earnest in the National League Division Series, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles enters the postseason looking to win it all again. The Dodgers are attempting to defend their World Series title for a second consecutive year and complete the first three-peat in Major League Baseball since the New York Yankees won three straight championships from 1998-2000.