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Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched an eighth consecutive division title and the top seed in the National League with a 7-2 win over the Oakland Athletics at Dodger Stadium. The National League West champions (39-16) also own the best record in Major League Baseball with less than a week remaining in the coronavirus-pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
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Max Muncy, Chris Taylor, A.J. Pollock and Corey Seager each homered in the Dodgers' latest victory Tuesday in Los Angeles. Dodgers starter Dustin May allowed three hits and two runs in five innings to earn his second win of 2020.
"It's awesome. You can't take them [division titles] for granted," Seager told reporters. "You can't assume this every year. We've been on a special run. It's not guaranteed."
The Athletics got off to a great start when left fielder Robbie Grossman took May deep for a 345-foot solo home run in the second at-bat of the game. May then settled down to escape the inning with just a one-run deficit.
Mookie Betts singled in the Dodgers first at-bat in the bottom of the first frame. Corey Seager then smacked a single to center field to plate Betts and tie the score at 1-1.
Neither team scored in the second inning. Edwin Rios and Betts each lined out to start the bottom of the third inning. Seager followed with a single before Muncy stepped into the batter's box to face Athletics starter Frankie Montas.
Muncy took a called strike from the right-handed pitcher before he swatted an 0-1 slider over the center field fence for a 424-foot, two-run homer to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
Taylor led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a laser solo home run to left field. That blast left his bat at 108 mph, traveled just 49 feet high and took 3.8 seconds to clear the fence, according to Statcast.
Joc Pederson flew out in the next at-bat before Pollock smashed a 394-foot solo home run to give the Dodgers a 5-2 lead.
Seager hit a 415-foot solo homer off Athletics relief pitcher T.J. McFarland in the bottom of the fifth inning to push the Los Angeles advantage to four runs. Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger plated Betts with an RBI single for the final run of the game in the seventh inning.
The Dodgers bullpen allowed just two hits and no runs over the final four innings to secure the victory. Seager went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in the win. Bellinger went 2 for 2 with an RBI and two walks.
The Dodgers battle the Athletics at 9:40 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles was the first MLB team to clinch a playoff spot and will host the No. 8 seed in the National League in a best-of-three series, which starts Sept. 30 at Dodger Stadium.
