Friday, September 25, 2026 — the Dodgers got exactly what they needed, before they even took the field.
The Dodgers clinched a top-two record in the National League and a first-round bye on Thursday when the Braves lost to the Reds. The news came before first pitch of their game against San Diego, which they went on to lose 4-2.
Los Angeles is the NL’s No. 2 seed behind Milwaukee and will have home-field advantage in a best-of-five Division Series that begins October 3. Its opponent will be the winner of the Wild Card Series involving NL East champion Atlanta.
A Loss That Didn’t Matter Much
Thursday’s game still had its moments. Tyler Glasnow carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning before the Padres broke through, and San Diego went on to win. The Dodgers finished 8-5 against the Padres this year but dropped two of the last three meetings — a small detail worth remembering if the teams meet again in October.
Glasnow himself downplayed the bye. It’s comforting, he said, but he thinks the postseason is “all random.”
The Ohtani Signal
The most encouraging sign came from Shohei Ohtani. In just his second game back from the injured list, he had two hits, including an RBI double off Padres closer Mason Miller with an exit velocity of 106.8 mph. The Dodgers plan to keep giving him at-bats through the end of the regular season to make up for lost time.
That is the real value of the bye for Los Angeles. Ohtani and the rest of a banged-up roster get extra days to heal and to sharpen up, while four other National League teams burn through their pitching in the Wild Card round.
The Caveat
There is one number that tempers the celebration. The Dodgers went just 36-36 against teams with a .500 record or better. They have dominated weaker opponents, but the October field is made up entirely of good teams.
Dave Roberts noted that it took until the final week for the Dodgers to finally have a series that wasn’t about chasing something. Freddie Freeman saw it differently: the team played well for six straight months, and the bye is the reward.
The Read
A bye is not a guarantee — Glasnow is right that October can be random. But for a team trying to get Ohtani back to full speed and its roster healthy for a run at a third straight title, there was no better outcome available.
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