Dodgers clinch NL’s top seed with win over A’s
LOS ANGELES » Corey Seager had three hits, including one of Los Angeles’ four home runs, as the Dodgers clinched the National League’s top postseason seed and eighth straight West title Tuesday night with a 7-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
The Dodgers, who own the best record in themajors at 39-16, were the first team in themajors to clinch a playoff berth on Sept. 16. They will open postseason play on Sept. 30 by hosting every game in a best- of-three series against the No. 8 seed.
Max Muncy, Chris Taylor and AJ Pollock also went deep for Los Angeles, which leads the majors with 104 home runs.
Dustin May (2-1) went five innings and allowed two runs on threehits. The 22- year- old red- headed righty set a team record by not allowingmore than three earned runs in his first 13 career starts, which include 10 this season.
Robbie Grossman homered for Oakland, which clinched its first AL West crown in seven years on Monday during a day off. The Athletics, in the postseason for the third straight year, currently are the AL’s No. 3 seed.
Mark Canha had two of Oakland’s five hits.
Muncy gave the Dodgers a3-2leadinthe thirdinning with a two-run homer. Taylor and Pollock extended it with solo shots in the fourth offOakland starter Frankie Montas (3-5).
Grossman quickly gave Oakland a 1- 0 lead when he homered off the leftfield pole in the first inning. Sean Murphy briefly gave the Athletics a 2-1 advantage when he led off the third with a walk and scored on a wild pitch by May with two outs.
Montas, who allowed only four home runs in his first seven starts, has given up six in his past three. The right-hander went four innings and yielded five runs on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.