Dodgers clinch NL West title for 12th time in 13 years: Reigning champions seeking repeat World Series ring

The Dodgers were able to hold off the Padres to secure the division title

The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again National League West champions, securing their 12th division title in the last 13 years with Thursday's 8-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. While running the division is nothing new for the Dodgers, this year represents a departure from their norm in a different respect, as they aren't in position to qualify for a first-round bye and earn automatic entrance to the divisional round.

The Dodgers had to endure a rash of injuries throughout the season, with their pitching staff being the hardest hit unit on their squad. Only two Dodgers pitchers have started 20 or more games to date, and in total they've deployed 39 different arms. That puts them just one pitcher short of last year's 40, which stands as the franchise's single-season record.

A number of key contributors helped keep the Dodgers afloat, beginning with two-way star Shohei Ohtani who may well win another Most Valuable Player Award as a result. A few other Dodgers cleared the four-win mark, per Baseball Reference's calculations: shortstop Mookie Betts, himself the victim of an early season illness that skewed his output; injured catcher Will Smith; and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in his second year in the United States.

The Dodgers clinched a playoff berth last week, joining a bracket that now includes the Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Diego Padres. Those same Padres put up a valiant effort in the division race but were unable to complete the job and are instead likely to finish the season as the second wild card out of the National League.

The Dodgers will conclude their regular-season slate on the road this weekend with a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners in what may prove to be a World Series preview.