Dodgers will have to slay Giants to win the West

Hang on to your caps… With a little more than a month to go in the season, it’s coming down to the Dodgers and the Giants.

The Boys in Blue took two of three from their San Francisco foes at Dodger Stadium this week, even though it took a ninth-inning base knock from rookie phenom Corey Seager to break up a no hitter by the Giant’s Matt Moore last night.

The longtime rivals are locked in a tight race for the National League West title, with more at stake than just statewide bragging rights. The second-place finisher in the division will either have to play in a do-or-die wildcard game to stay in the playoffs, or miss the post-season entirely.

Right now, the momentum is with the Dodgers: They’ve overcome a big deficit to overtake the Giants in the standings. How they’ve managed that is a bit of mystery. The team is riddled with injuries and has sent a record 27 players to the disabled list this year. The casualties include ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who’s been out with a bad back.

L.A. Times sportswriter Bill Shaikin says he gives the edge to the Dodgers in the homestretch of the season:

“This would be the fourth straight year that the Dodgers would have advanced to the playoffs, and that’s never been done before,” Shaikin says. “Although the Dodgers were eight games out at one point, it looks like they’ll be in the playoffs one way or another. And frankly, this is the year it has to be because you wouldn’t want Vin Scully going out with a bad team.”