The Dodgers aren't exactly cruising into the playoffs -- and it could cost them.
Los Angeles has dropped four straight games and eight of its last 10 entering play on Tuesday and lost to the Giants Monday to keep the champagne corked. The Dodgers seem destined for a battle with the Mets in the NLDS, but the recent skid could come back to bite them.
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The Mets clinched the NL East on Saturday to earn their first playoff berth in nine years. The club had the luxury of resting their everyday players Sunday, which was followed by an off-day Monday. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are still fighting it out, owning a five-game lead over the Giants, but a win over San Francisco Tuesday could at least clinch them a berth.
The problem is, Los Angeles has already allowed New York to overtake it for home-field advantage for the division series, and the Dodgers face the risk of flying to Queens for Game 1 next Friday. A lot can change, but L.A. may lose the splendor of having Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw pitching into the shadows out west at Dodger Stadium.
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Los Angeles' pitching staff is fourth in the NL with a 3.06 ERA at home, compared to a 3.95 mark on the road, which places them 10th in the league. The Dodgers are also conceding home-field to a Mets team that boasts a 48-30 record at Citi Field, fifth best home mark in the National League. L.A. is 35-43 on the road.
Adding to the fun, the Dodgers, despite their two big guns, will have to get through 2014 Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, a rejuvenated Matt Harvey and young flame-thrower Noah Syndergaard, with two of these young arms starting at home if things hold. Add in rookie Stephen Matz and it's no picnic.
The Dodgers are likely to have a champagne-soaked shower and win the NL West for a third straight season, but along with the taste of victory may come a reminder of past postseason struggles. They may have lost too much already with home-field advantage slipping away.
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