Dodgers clinch third NL West crown

SAN FRANCISCO – Clayton Kershaw pitched the big-money Dodgers to their third straight NL West title, tossing a one-hitter as Los Angeles beat the San Francisco Giants 8-0 on Tuesday night.

Kershaw allowed just a third-inning single and struck out 13, and now he’ll get a chance to erase those sour postseason memories as the Dodgers (88-69) advance to face the NL East champion New York Mets in a best-of-five Division Series.

Kershaw (16-7) finally got the best of his 2015 nemesis in the fourth matchup of the year against Madison Bumgarner, striking out the side in order three times and retiring the final 19 batters as the Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak.

Don Mattingly’s Dodgers earned a third straight playoff berth for the first time in franchise history, and did so by snapping a seven-game losing streak at AT&T Park this year. It’s also their sixth postseason berth in 10 years.

When Kelby Tomlinson grounded out to end it and rookie shortstop Corey Seager made a nice throw to first, Kershaw raised both arms in the air as his teammates streamed out of the dugout. They all began hugging and dancing on the mound.

The Giants immediately offered a message on the main scoreboard: “CONGRATULATIONS, L.A. DODGERS! (hash)RESPECTTHERIVALRY”

Los Angeles players stayed on the field for several minutes, pulling on their new NL West champion caps

Justin Ruggiano and A.J. Ellis hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth to chase Bumgarner (18-9), denying the Giants their first 19-game winner in 18 years.

Andre Ethier added a two-run triple in a four-run eighth, and Los Angeles captured its 14th NL West title and earned their 29th playoff berth – 20th in Los Angeles. Ellis and Seager added run-scoring singles that inning.

Los Angeles lost a four-game division series to St. Louis last October and the club hasn’t reached the World Series since winning it all in 1988, losing in either the division series or NL Championship Series in its last eight postseason appearances since.

Now, with two of the top pitchers in the game  – Zack Greinke and Kershaw – stellar rookies such as Seager and outfielder Joc Pederson, veteran infielder Jimmy Rollins and August acquisition Chase Utley leading a loaded bench, the Dodgers are counting on a deep October run.

They got this far with huge expectations under first-year president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, and new general manager Farhan Zaidi – and with a whopping regular-season payroll of $285 million.