The Los Angeles Dodgers needed a 163rd game this season to capture the NL West division title, but they triumphed on the bonus day of baseball at Dodger Stadium. The 5-2 victory sends the Rockies to Chicago for the Wild Card against the Cubs, as the Dodgers will get to enjoy the friendly confines of Chavez Ravine for the rest of the week.

Walker Buehler (2.62 ERA) capped off an excellent debut season by pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings yesterday; Max Muncy and Cody Bellinger hit their 35th and 25th home runs of the season, respectively, and the Dodgers finish the season 92-71. They went 14-4 over the last three weeks of the season. That’s what you call finishing strong.

However, the real work is just beginning for this club. The players, coaches, fans and front office alike have all waited a full year for another opportunity to seize this moment.

Unlike the last postseason, the National League field is littered with teams all around the same level. The top seed, the Milwaukee Brewers, finished with just four more wins than the Dodgers. The Atlanta Braves, L.A.’s Division Series opponent, with only two less wins.

L.A. won the season series against Atlanta 5-2, and matches up very well with the Braves. They have a dangerous top end of their lineup with the likes of Freeman and Markakis, as every playoff team will, but the Dodgers will be a heavy favorite with an overwhelming lineup top-to-bottom.

Plus, avoiding the Wild Card round was crucial for setting the routine for the starting rotation. Dave Roberts now has the freedom to get Clayton Kershaw off to the right start in Game 1 and come back with Walker Buehler in a potential close-out game in Atlanta.

The Dodgers’ achilles heal is clear: late-game pitching might become a serious issue. Kenly Jansen gave up more than double the amount of home runs this year (13) than last year (6). They still didn’t solidify the eighth inning in front of Jansen, either. The bullpen elevated it’s game to a different level in the 2017 postseason, it will need to again.

But with the starting pitching and lineup as devastating as it is, there’s a dangerous team in Los Angeles, one that’s hungrier than ever.

First pitch for the National League Divisional Series is set for 5:37 on Thursday evening at Dodger Stadium. As always, you can listen live on your hometown station KHTS 98.1 FM for all the action.

KHTS Sports is your source for the 2018 Santa Clarita high school football season and your daily Dodgers update. If you have any news and notes about our teams and players to share please send them to [email protected], like us on facebook.com/khtssports and follow us @KHTSSports on Twitter and Instagram.