FULL NL West Champs 2024 Dodgers Champagne Celebration + interviews Shohei, Kershaw, Mookie, & More

Doing this again. Every step you celebrate because you know it's quite of an accomplishment. And you really appreciate this one because this is the biggest step that you have to get over. Well, and the other thing with this team, yes we have a lot of Dodger players who've been there, done that before. But we have Shohei Otani doing this for the first time. Some young guys doing this for the first time as well, Norm. For those guys who've never had a chance to experience it, what is it like that first time? You know what you really feel for those guys, actually as a teammate. If you've been there before and you see the guys for the first time, you are so happy that you're able to have them experience this. And when you're doing it for the first time as an experience, I mean there's nothing like it. You always remember that. This is what you cherish. And you're going, man, this is what you worked so hard for to have this type of feeling. Yeah, and then you know it's not over because you want to continue having those. But at the same time, man, you appreciate it. Once you get a taste of this, you want to experience it as many times as possible. I'm telling you, it never gets old. It is an incredible feeling. Because you know you've done something as a group, as a team, something bigger than yourself. And you know what? Something bigger than your team. Because you're representing the city of LA, all of Dodger fans throughout the world. And you want to continue this feeling throughout October. I see Shohei right now getting the goggles on. What are you doing? No, no, no. The first time, you've got to let it burn. You have to let it burn the first time. Feel the burn the first time. Let them know. And we'll see if he acts. Oh, someone just threw, I think he just threw his goggles away. In fact, that was Shohei throwing his goggles away. Because I don't want that. He wants to feel the burn. And I think Clayton Kershaw, a few years ago, when he started the whole shirtless celebration, he's just going to enjoy it. And now we see quite a few of the guys taking their shirts off. They're going to soak it all in. You know what? I can't believe I'm going to say this on air. I hope I get a chance to see Clayton Kershaw one more time shirtless. Oh, there's Clayton Kershaw right there. He's right there, Jerry. He's the one who's always leading the way. Kersh, you know what? He's got a lot of money. You could invest in a tanning bed every once in a while, right? But again, feel the burn. And I hope Clayton Kershaw and the rest of his teammates, I say it again, guys, you want to experience this so many more times this season. I have a feeling somebody's going to give a speech very shortly, address the team, and then you're going to see a lot of bottles popped. It is such a long road, as both of you guys know, to get here. They reported the spring training before the Super Bowl this last year. Then they opened the season early in Korea. And all these months later, it culminates with this, when this was really the goal from day one of spring training. First goal is to win the division. Again, listen, I don't care what kind of talent you have on your roster. Yes, you need talent, but you need to be able to come together, be able to play together. A lot of new faces on this ball club. Obviously, the big show, who is a huge part of this team. Nobody knew how he was going to wrap. The pressure of that big contract, the pressure to play for the Dodgers, he had exceeded expectations. How about Teoscar Hernandez coming over here on a one-year deal, betting on himself, wanting to be a part of this team. If you experience this, I'm just so happy for those two and the rest of the guys. You know why you celebrate so much? Because six months, what you endure for six months, the adversity, the ups and downs. I mean, if you think about it, just life, if you're not playing baseball, the life you endure a lot over a course of six months. That's why you celebrate it. All right, let's take you inside the Dodgers clubhouse. We believe someone's addressing the team. Let's listen in. This first step that we want to accomplish, which is winning the division and being one of the top teams in the league. Freddy! It's just a game. There's four more shots that we have to take. We're winning a series in Colorado, and then three more to be the World Series champion. For today, Pajes, where you at? Pajes, right here. Say something to the team. No, you got it. He said what Biggie said, but in Spanish. Let's take a shot for everybody. Let's go. All right, boys, hold on, hold on. Does anyone have champagne? I'm taking a shot, too. Taking a shot for the boys, too. Hey, there's Iron Man. It's a premature. So I got one message, fellas. Hey, no one said this was going to be easy. We've done through hell and back, and I want to thank you guys for all sticking together, believing in one another, and I promise you this. No team that we face is going to have more fight than us. Let's stick together and win 11 more games. And you see the champagne flying inside the Dodgers clubhouse and all the people here behind us. They've been watching on some of the large monitors here at Dodgers Stadium and cheering when they saw that champagne flying inside the Dodgers clubhouse. The moments where the guys are able to release a lot of that energy and exuberance, that jubilation and exuberance, Jerry. And we heard Dave Roberts talk about it. They won 11 more wins, and you've talked about it all season long. You don't care how many games they win in the regular season. It's about 11 wins in October. That was Dave Roberts' message there, and I also liked how he said there's no team out there that has more fight than this Dodger team. We saw a lot of that the last two days. And that's what's so important about this group of guys. You have to be able to fight. If you're going to be a championship team, you're going to have to deal through adversity. Regular season, postseason, you may be down in a game in the postseason, down in a series. You've got to be able to be resilient and fight, play together, and have each other's back. Manager Dave Roberts has done an incredible job making sure that nobody in that clubhouse felt sorry for themselves, especially with all the injuries. This team has a tremendous amount of fight. 11 more wins. Once again, 11 more wins for World Series champions. Yeah, it's good that's the way you end out. It's a reminder that you cannot take your foot off the gas. I really like, here we are, we have one more series. There's three more games left in this, and obviously they're going to get the bye. I get that, but they have to recognize that there is no letting up. They have to find a way to keep that foot down on the gas and go through, because you're right, that fight that these guys have had all season long needs to continue. And you know what else needs to continue? Something we've seen a lot of, really, for the last week. We've seen more emotion out of this Dodger team, I think, than we have the last few years. And it seems like that, it kind of carried over to the next guy and the next guy and the next guy. And pretty soon, Omar, everybody was starting to celebrate big hits, and you could just see that in their face. Yeah, because they know what was at stake. It was like time, hey, we can release this, guys. We know they're big games. We understand, and we have to come through, and we have to continue to support each other. They've gone through so much together, and they know that. And this is a really close-knit team. So when they see these guys, they're celebrating, they're showing that emotion. They're like, yeah, we should be expressing it. We should be enjoying this. We should be thriving on this, and we should be uplifting each other. And they did that. Let's head inside right now. Mookie Betts standing by with Kirsten Watson. How good does it feel to win the National League West this year? It feels great. Every time we can say we did that, hold up that banner, it's amazing. Just considering you dealt with injury this year, to come back, to be a part of this, what does that just mean to you personally? Everything. I mean, it's just, you know, being hurt sucks. But I appreciate it. Being here a little bit more, a lot more. And so I'm just happy that we won. It was a battle. What did it say just to see how you and your teammates, how you guys fought through this, the emotions that you shared on it? It really just kind of let us know that we're going to fight. We're going to fight to the end, no matter what. Win, lose, or draw. It never gets old, does it? It never gets old. It's always cold. But anytime we're getting champagne on us, it means we did something good. Congratulations, Mookie. Thank you. Oh, and as you guys know, that is awfully cold, that champagne and the beer as well. But Mookie Betts talked about it, Jerry. Getting hurt and being hurt, it sucks. And he missed about two and a half months with a broken hand, came back, immediately started to play well. And you know that he's excited to be heading back to the postseason to get another shot. I'll tell you what, at the time of Mookie Betts' injury, he could make a strong case that he was the MVP of the National League. He was having an epic season. He gets hurt, misses two and a half months. And when he comes back, does not skip a beat. You've got to remember with Mookie Betts, at the start of the season, he was going to be the everyday second baseman. Then we're going to ask him to be the everyday shortstop, okay, at the last minute, gets hurt. You know what, we're going to need to be in the right field. Now you're going to hit second. Never complain. He said it's all about the team, and make no mistake about it. He hurt a little bit of the rumblings the last couple nights. He has not swung the bat well. But you know what, you're not always going to do that. He's had an epic season. But, boy, did he come up huge. Tonight, huge not two RBIs to come up clutch once again. Mookie Betts, one of the best players in the world. And sometimes he wears his emotion on his sleeve because he cares. He cares about the city. He cares about rings. Good to see him celebrate tonight with his teammates and be ready to focus on those 11 wins. You know, they have a lot of superstars on this team. You know that about them. We know that. We talk about them regularly, right. And they really, you know, it's really easy. Well, yeah, they set the tone when you look at them because they're all crunched up at the top of the lineup. No, no, they set the tone in so many other ways, showing that they're not selfish at all. As you mentioned with Mookie Betts, be willing to go do whatever it takes. That's a tone early on, even at spring training. Listen, there's bigger things at stake than me. It's not about me. It's about this team to go out there and win. And what it takes is to be unselfish and go out there and do whatever is asked of you, whether it's switch positions, whatever they want you to do, whether it's hit in a different part of the lineup, even when you're coming back, because the way it's looking different and the way it's helping us, it doesn't matter. That's what you do. And I think everybody else, and you recognize that, and you're seeing that from your superstars. Like, man, you better conform, and you just fall right in and say, yep, I get it, I understand. Even when you get traded over here and you see that, it even resonates even more. So all the way up and down this lineup, each one of these guys, they're like, listen, it's all about winning. It's not about me. You know, another thing, too, this is a tremendous mental game. You play this game every single day. I don't care how great you are in this game. You're going to have a couple days where it's just not going to go your way. You're going to have a couple, three or four days where it's not going to go your way. But the thing about it is you've got to stay with your approach, continue to grind, and that's what a lot of these guys have done, especially the superstars they have led the way. 11 division titles in the last 12 years. Let's head inside. David Vasse standing by with the architect of this team, Andrew Friedman. Andrew, obviously you've been through a lot of these. You already got some baby powder thrown on you by Kike Hernandez. How does it feel? The baby powder, not awesome. What an accomplishment. The fight from this group, just the adversity that we faced throughout the year, you know, to take two and three the hard way, losing the first game, and watching Walker tonight, reminiscent of a lot of big games we've seen him pitch in this stadium. The bullpen was phenomenal. Can't say enough about this group, 1 through 26. When you talk about Walker Buehler, the last time you guys clinched a division championship at Dodger Stadium with fans in attendance was game 163 when Walker was on the mound. What does it say about him to persevere this entire year to give you the start he gave you? I mean, with Walker, the arrow's been pointing up all year. It was a little rocky there in the beginning, but the stuff was there. It was about the execution. What we knew all along was that as we got that more dialed in, he doesn't shy away from the moment. He's not scared of anything, and he's going to go out and compete, and we saw that tonight. A lot of expectations on this ball club from the moment you signed Shohei Otani. Does this feel more like relief, or does it feel more like the other ones that you've won? We like high expectations. We relish them. It beats the shit out of the alternative, and people just not caring. So people care. They're passionate about the Dodgers. They have high expectations. So do we. We think that's a great thing, and for us, this is step one. This is what we talked about in spring training. The first step was to win the division and put ourselves in a position to get the bye. We've done that, and now the ultimate goal is in mind, and we need to do all we can to put ourselves in a position to go out and win 11 games. Quickly, Freddie Freeman left the game, looked like a right ankle sprain. Is there anything you could share with us about him? We'll know more. I'm not too worried about it. We're going to be cautious, and there's no reason to play him this weekend. We could have, potentially. If we needed it, we don't need it. We'll make sure that he's rested up and ready to go next Saturday. It seems like your players have really included you in this celebration. What does that mean to you? I think it's all a tight-knit group. You go through a lot through spring training, Korea this year, the regular season, the amounts of adversity that we've taken on. It brings a group closer, and so it's a special group, and I'm excited to watch them go out and compete in October. It starts from the top, and that means Andrew Freedman. Congratulations on another tremendous regular season, and we look forward to more baby powder in the eyes of Andrew Freedman. I like it. Each series win, I'm happy to get baby powder in the eyes. Congratulations, Andrew. Thank you. There he is, the man, the architect, the guy that puts this all together. He's Andrew Freedman. The party continues inside the Dodgers' clubhouse. Why not? They're going to keep on celebrating, and we're going to stay right with this. Right now, let's head back inside and hear from Walker Buehler. Tonight's starting pitcher is with Kirsten. Walker, that was incredible. What was working so well for you? I didn't compete. I punched out one guy. How good did it feel to do it in a game like this in the Collegiate Division? Listen, I've had a rough year. There's one thing I've kind of always had my hat on is pitching in big games. They're going through the ball really well, too. Got some big runs at the end and saved us, so division champs. These moments excite you for what's to come in October? Yeah, that's what I live for. Walker Buehler, very much an honest guy, a stand-up guy, and admitting right there that he's had a rough year coming back from a second Tommy John surgery. We talked in the pregame show about how much of a big game pitcher he has been throughout his career. Tonight he goes out there for five innings, pitched really well, only gave up one run. Listen, there was that one outing he had prior to him going with his hip on the aisle in Cincinnati, which was unbelievable, one of his best outings. It was incredible to see. Then he goes on the aisle, and then it was like he was trying to find it. I think Andrew Freeman was correct. The arrow was pointing up after every start. He was getting badder and badder and badder. We were going, listen, it's culminating to a point where here's a big game on a big stage, which we know he embraces and thrives here, to just see it come together, and it did. He had a tremendous performance here today and was really key to their success in them winning this game because you needed the starting pitcher to set the tone. Walker Buehler did that. Listen, let me tell you something. This is exciting. As a Dodger fan, he's ready for the postseason, guys. He's ready for the postseason. I'm going to disagree with Walker Buehler. His season is not over yet. He's had a rough start to the season. Obviously, after his second Tommy John surgery, coming back, his season is still just starting. He can write a tremendous conclusion to his story this season, and it really started tonight. Outstanding job against a really good Padre lineup right there, keeping that buffet. I really believe he could have pitched another two innings. I think manager Dave Roberts understood, you know what, he's pitching great. We want to make sure he continues to stay healthy and stay strong because we're going to need him to pitch deep in the postseason. You get it healthy, Jack Flaherty, Yamamoto, and then Walker Buehler with this lineup, look out. His last three starts, one earned run in Atlanta for six innings. A season-high nine strikeouts last time. Tonight, one run against a very good Padres lineup over five innings. Let's head back inside once again. David Vasse is standing by with the skipper Dave Roberts. Here I am with the man that has the highest winning percentage of any active manager, the leader of this ball club in the dugout night in and night out, Dave Roberts. How does this one feel? Man, this one, they all feel sweet, but I'll tell you, man, with what we've gone through this year, this feels a tick sweeter, and I'm just so proud of these guys. The way that we fought through adversity, stuck together, and found a way to win this division again, and it was hard fought. We earned it, and today sort of epitomized our season, you know, just kind of battling from behind, fighting scratch and claw, and willing ourselves to victory. Is this any sweeter, beating the team that was chasing you for this division championship? Oh, I love being those guys. It is great. I love being those guys, and for those guys, for us to do it at home in front of our fans, I couldn't have asked for a better script. Speaking of that, this is the first time you've won the NL West at home with fans in attendance since game 163 in 2018, and Walker Buehler, as you know, was on the mound that day. What can you say about Buehler and what he gave you tonight? I can't say enough about Walker. You know, no one's walked in his shoes and appreciated what he's gone through this last two years, and the way that the season started and not quit on himself or us speaks to his character, and he pitched a huge ballgame for us and put us in a position to win a championship, so I'm excited, and I'm expecting big things from Walker. Dave, what about that five-run seventh inning? Could you feel the momentum switch after the Muncie leadoff walk? I felt it. I felt it. You can see that, you know, Musgrove dominated us for six innings, but that walk right there then got behind Will Smith, and for Will to hit a big-boy home run right there gave us a lot of life, and from there, everyone, we just smelled blood right there. Shohei Otani piled on as well. What can you say about the season he's had and for him to experience this with you for the first time? It's unprecedented, and this is something that I know Shohei's dreamed about ever since he was a young kid, and now he's living it right now in real time, and he's put on a show the last couple weeks, and obviously what a year he's having, and we're going to ride that horse, that thoroughbred to the championship. Dave, congratulations. I know you've put in a lot of work. You've led this team and got them through a lot of injuries this season, and you're still standing as the NL West champions for the second consecutive year. We look forward to more of this. Absolutely, man. This is sweet. There he is, the man, Dave Roberts, always got a smile, always got a positive attitude. We'll send it back to you. This is sweet, and I'm glad that he's feeling that because Dave Roberts, it's a difficult job being a major league manager because hindsight's always 20-20. The fans have all the answers after the fact, and he's trying to make decisions in real time, but then you consider all of the injuries that he has had to deal with this year, and he's kept this thing together. He maintains that positive outlook constantly, even telling the guys what a week and a half, two weeks ago, hey, we still have enough despite all the injuries to win a World Series. I'm glad to see him enjoying this moment tonight. He should. I mean, you're exactly right. He gets questions every single moment, right? When things go bad and when things go wrong, it's always on him, and he knows that. He understands that. He knows that comes with the job, and he'll tell you, like, yeah, I've got to be better or if I made a mistake, whatever it may be, but he has to go out there and make those tough decisions, and then he also has to go out there and maneuver this with all the adversity that they've been dealt with. I mean, it is not easy. When you have that many injuries to your starters, to your bullpen, when you're trying to make those decisions, we touched on it. You have Mookie Betts and MVP go on the shelf as well. Just everything that surrounds it, and then we talked about from the very beginning at spring training where these guys get in on the same page and what it's about to create that unselfish vibe. Let me tell you, it starts with the top. It starts with Dave Roberts. It does. The message he sends. 100%. You know what? I've known Dave Roberts for a long time. You know, we came up through minor leagues, playing against each other, played against each other in the big league level. He is the ultimate overachiever. And again, walks on at UCLA, stars at UCLA, becomes a big leaguer, established himself as a fourth outfielder, then becomes an everyday player, becomes a coach, now a big league manager for a historic Dodger franchise. He understands what it means to be a manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. You're going to face some criticism. You're not going to be perfect. You may not make all the right decisions. You can't. You're imperfect. But what he continues to do, he makes sure that his team always fights. No matter what. Injuries. Injuries to our starting staff. Injuries to our bullpen. Injuries to our superstars. Mookie Betts. Max Muntz, we lost those guys for a variety, a lot of months. Every time our young guy gets up there, he allows them to be themselves. From AA, AAA, they don't skip a beat and always has his teams prepared to win. Incredible job, Dave Roberts. I think a lot of people around baseball were a little bit surprised when the Dodgers were able to sign Te'Oscar Hernandez to a one-year deal. He turned down offers for two and three years from other teams. But he signed with the Dodgers because, as he said, he wanted to have a chance to get back to the postseason. And he is there. And he's one of the big reasons why the Dodgers are celebrating tonight. Let's hear it from Te'O. He's standing by with Kirsten. Te'Oscar, what does it mean to you to be a part of this team this year and to be a part of this win? It's just incredible. This is my first time winning a division. Obviously, it's a lot of joy. I enjoy it so much so far. And I can't wait for the postseason to start. I know we're going to be in there trying to win everything. It's not going to be easy, but we're going to try the hardest. And we're going to be positive, looking forward, and trying to win. A special group of guys. How would you describe all of y'all coming together, the fight you showed in this series, and what you guys are looking forward to do come October? You know, we've been through a lot to get to this point. Obviously, not easy along the way during the season. But we have a special group of guys that never give up. We always fight, trying to find ways to win ballgames, and that's what we did in this series. We went down until the seventh inning, and then we put some pressure on Joe. He made a mistake to Will, and he paid for it. And thank God we got the win at the end of the day. Congratulations on this moment, this win. Enjoy it, Te'Oscar. Thank you. I appreciate it. Let's go! We already saw Mookie Betts celebrating with his baseball family right now. He is celebrating with his little ones and his wife, his family out there on the field at Dodgers Stadium. What a cool moment for Mookie Betts, heading back to the postseason once again with the Dodgers. And that's because the Dodgers' magic number, it is down to, it's zero! They are the National League West champions. Shohei Ohtani, first time heading off to the postseason. That's 11 division titles in 12 years. We will have National League Division Series baseball here a week from Saturday. Standing by with David Vasse. He changed the game tonight in the seventh inning with a big game-tying two-run home run. Will Smith, what does it mean to you? You've come up with so many clutch hits in your young career. Where does this one rank? Yeah, it's up there. You know, it's always fun to do it on a night, you know, you can clinch. So, I was able to tie the ball game up. You know, it seemed like we were sniffing runs the whole game, but it's going to come with a big hit. So, yeah, I was up there when it happened. But, yeah, able to tack on a few more that inning. That was, you know, that's what won us the ball game. I feel like that is the greatest bat flip of your career. Yeah, I was pumped. Yeah, you were. Did you feel you had Musgrove on the ropes after Muncie's leadoff walk? Where did you see Musgrove at that point in time? Did you feel like you had him? Not really. He was able to get in a hitter's count. So, I get a 3-1. You know, he was pitching really well tonight. He was keeping up a lot of balance. His curveball was really sharp. So, you know, we just had to grind him out and eventually, you know, get a blow in there to him. So, it was, you know, more of a team effort. You know, my number just happened to be called then. Ever since you got called up to the big leagues, you've been part of an NLS champion except for one season, and you won 106 games that year. You've won a World Series championship. Can you put into context what this one means to not only you but to the group? Yeah, I mean, that's what I like to do is to win. That's why, you know, I want to be here is because, you know, we have an opportunity to win a World Series every single year, and that's the goal each and every year, and that's what we're working for. So, you know, this is step one. Obviously, we've got Colorados who want to finish strong and then, you know, go ahead and win the DS, the World Series, so that's what we're trying to do. Will, one more for you. You've had to handle a lot of pitchers this season. How have you been able to do it, and what can you say about not just 10, 13 guys, but upwards of 30 different pitchers that you've caught this year? Yeah, we've called on a lot of guys to step up, throw big innings for us. So, you know, obviously all the injuries and guys coming off the IL and all that, you don't want to deal with, but we've been able to deal with this. So, you know, credit to Mark, Danny, Connor McGinnis, keeping all these guys right, trying to keep them healthy, and, yeah, just go out there, and, you know, they all have really good stuff. So use it, and, you know, wins go again. Love it, Will. It said a lot, your emotion on that game-tying home run. It was great to see, and we look forward to more of these. You're a little too dry, Smith. You've got to get in there. Oh, I'm soaked. We're good. There he is, Will Smith, a big game-tying two-run home run. We'll send it back to you. Thanks, DV. Remember when Shohei Otani and his dog Decoy, they had their own bobblehead night. Shohei went deep that night, and Decoy's joining in the celebration, and you see Shohei's wife as well down on the field. Such a cool moment. Shohei getting a chance for the first time in his career to experience what it's like to win a division title. Awesome stuff, and taking some pictures as well. Let's head back inside the clubhouse right now. Clayton Kershaw standing by with Kirsten. Clayton, I know how badly you wanted to be out there to help this team get the win tonight, but still you put in a lot to help this team get to this position to win the division. How special is it being a part of a group like this and seeing the fight that everyone has shown throughout this one? Yeah, I mean, look, you never know. I say it every year. You just never know when you're going to get to celebrate with a group of guys, regardless if you've been a huge contributor or, like myself, barely been a part of it. So I enjoy it no matter what. I know it's hard to do, and I know that it's just a special thing to do, and I know someday it's going to end. So I try to enjoy it no matter how much of an impact I've made on the team, and this is a great group of guys, and they showed a lot of fight this series. You know, we could have been down and out after that first one, and for them to do what they did the last two games and win it here at home has been awesome, and so looking forward to the rest of the postseason. This season you guys have had to overcome a lot, especially with injuries, yourself included. How telling is it seeing this group come together to have not only the outcome but performances that you all have been having all season long? Yeah, I mean, you've got to give a lot of credit to the guys that were in there for the whole year. You know, obviously it starts with Shohei and then on down, but we had a lot of guys step up and a lot of guys go down. So you've got to give a lot of credit to the guys that were there from April to September. They really carried us and gave everybody time to get healthy and come back. You know, we don't have everybody we want, but I definitely think we have enough to do something special, and it's going to be fun to watch. How impressed have you been with the way the group played this last month? All the kind of big games you guys had to play and the ability to kind of close it out late here. Yeah, I mean, I think this series was a good testament. You know, we didn't get a lot of hits early. We kept grinding, kept battling, and then before you know it, it's 7-2, and that's a testament to Walker tonight. You know, Walker pitched great, and then our bullpen has been great the last few weeks. So it's been fun to watch, and that's going to be our M.O. You know, we've just got to give our offense time on the pitching side, and we know they're going to score runs. It's one of the best lineups I've ever been a part of, maybe ever been a part of. So 1 through 9, there's not an easy out, and they showed that this series, and I think they'll continue to show it. Clay, what does it add to you just watching Walker coming back from the second TJ and how he's had to maybe kind of reinvent himself a little bit? Yeah, I mean, I give a lot of credit to him. You know, it wasn't an easy year for him. You know, tonight, for example, his first time pitching on normal rest, biggest game of the season. He wanted the ball. He went out there, and he did his job. He did awesome. So, you know, that's in there for Walker. You know, I think as the moment rises, he wants the ball. He wants to be a part of it, and obviously he's going to be a big part of our October, and this was a great sign tonight for what he did. Clayton, you were in this party many times, but there's so many, you know, players have this is the first time. Like Shohei, Teo, you know. What can you give those guys tonight? I always say the same thing. It's such a special thing to get to celebrate with a group of guys after a six-month season that we did something special, you know. Yeah, from Teo to Shohei to a guy like Gavin Stone, who's not going to be able to pitch in the postseason most likely, but what an amazing contribution Gavin had to our whole season. I told him, hey, you were as big a part of this as anything, and you need to enjoy this. This is special. So, yeah, whether it's your first or your 50th, it's the best. Can't replace it. And for Clayton Kershaw, it's the 14th time in his 17 years in the big leagues that Dodgers are going to the postseason. Shohei Otani is heading there for the very first time, and right now he is talking with the media. Shohei, this is a huge moment for you. Just tell us what it feels like going to the playoffs. This is your first. I'm really happy. Today I came to the stadium really wanting to clinch, and I'm glad that we were able to do that today. This is your first playoffs. What are the emotions like? The way that you played this series, it was all fight till the end. What does it feel like for you to be a part of this Dodgers team? A reason why you came here to be a winner? This series was something special. It was something that really stood out throughout the year, obviously. To be able to clinch it is the reason why I'm here. Shohei, you got the experience of being in the clubhouse, popping the champagne. What was that like for you? It was an awesome feeling, and I'm hoping to continue being able to pop more champagne. Shohei, how did it feel to clinch at home? How did it feel, and what was the emotions with that crowd tonight? For us players and also for the fans, I think it was a special moment. I didn't get to drink it today, but I did get a lot of champagne. It was a little painful, but I didn't think it would affect me in the future. It stung a little bit in my eyes, but hopefully it wouldn't cause too much of a damage. Shohei, it seems like you have gotten better down the stretch. It seems like you have gotten better down the stretch to close out the regular season. Are there any lessons that you can take from this run and bring with you to the postseason? Rather than focusing on the mechanics of my swing, I felt like the environment really elevated my performance, and that was something that allowed me to be focused throughout my whole event. What were you feeling, what were you thinking when you came up to that in the 7th inning? Just really focused on, you know, just having quality at bat to get a base hit. Do you get nervous at all in those kind of instances? I felt like I was really so focused that I didn't really have the opportunity to feel nervous. Last run with Shohei, did it make a difference doing it against the Padres? They're our division rival, and a very good team. Played really well throughout the whole series, and I'm glad that we were able to play really well against a very tough opponent. Thank you, guys. Thank you, Shohei. Congratulations. See you, Robert. We'll be out in a second. All right, there's Shohei Ohtani, making it to the postseason for the first time in his career. We've talked about the injuries all night as well and all the things this team has had to overcome. Max Muncy himself missed about three months with an oblique injury. Let's hear from Max right now with Kirsten. Max, congratulations. I know you've been a part of many of these, but this year, did it feel more special, just considering how much you all had to overcome? This one feels pretty good. You know, it feels, everything coming together, it feels really good, especially against the Padres. They've been the best team in baseball the second half. To come in here, they had a chance to unseat us, and, you know, we were able to find a way to grind together, and, you know, it kind of felt like that's how the whole season was. A lot of injuries, a lot of things not going our way, but no one's going to feel sorry for us, and we don't feel sorry for ourselves, so we just got to go out there and play, and we were able to do that tonight, and this is a fun one for me. This is a fun one. This series was a battle. How would you describe just the performance you guys put out there? It was a grind. You know, we had, Walker went out, and it looked like Walker tonight. You know, I've always said it, in a game like this, situations like this, Walker's always going to be my guy. He's pitched a lot of these types of games for us, and he's always exceeded. I don't care what his numbers are for this year. He's the guy I want out there with that attitude, and he went out and showed it tonight. It's Joe Hayes' first postseason bid. First National League West win, first division championship. What is it like seeing him back in these moments? You know, he's lived up to every single bit of the hype. He's been incredible all year. It's been a lot of fun. I keep saying, he keeps getting put in situations where, you know, you're expecting him to do something incredible, and he exceeds those expectations somehow, so he's been amazing. Congratulations, Max. Thank you. He continues here at Dodger Stadium, inside the clubhouse, and on the field as well. Plenty more reaction coming up. The Dodgers are your National League West champs again. Getting the final outs of that game tonight. Michael Kopech heading to the postseason for just the second time in his career. Right now, he is standing by. I don't know if I have words for it, but going from what I was doing at the beginning of the season to being in this position, it's all glory to God. How blessed do you feel? Because it's been two different worlds that you've been in in a single season. I'm just extremely grateful to be here. Thank you to the Dodgers in the front office for this team for taking me in, but at the end of the day, like I said, I don't really have words for it. I'm just extremely happy right now. You can see the emotions in you throughout this series. How special is it to be a part of this moment? Very. Very. As you can see. I told you. I told you. It's incredible. All I've wanted in my whole career is to win. I've had a chance to do that a couple times, but not in the way that this team's done it. Not with these type of guys. Not with this type of talent. Not with this type of staff just supporting me from day one. So it's nothing against where I came from before, but this is a special place, and I think everybody reiterates that, but I'm really happy to be here. What does it mean to be trusted in the ninth inning for a team like this? The world. I mean, I by no means think I'm one of the most talented guys on this team, but I'm fortunate to have the gifts that I've been given by God. There's some extremely talented people on this team, and to be a part of it is really special. Congratulations, Michael. And the Dodgers are a much better team with Michael Kopech being at the back end of that Dodgers bullpen. Gavin Lux, after missing all of last year, that devastating knee injury, you know this night means a lot to him as well. Let's hear from Gavin Lux inside the clubhouse. Gavin Lux, one of many Dodgers that pushed through this season. He's all grown up because he's smoking a cigar. First cigar ever you've smoked, Lux? No, sir. It is not. How does that one taste after winning an NLS championship? This is courtesy of Walker Buehler. It's a good one. What can you say about Walker Buehler and his performance tonight? Yeah, it feels like he's gotten better every start. You know, he competed his ass off again tonight. It always feels like the bigger the moment for him, the better he's going to perform, and he's the guy I would trust most out there in the postseason because, you know, he's got a big set of you-know-whats, and he's going to compete his ass off no matter what. Lux, a year ago at this time, you were watching the celebration. What does it mean to you to be part of it, to come back and have the season that you had? Yeah, man, I missed this a lot last year. You know, you kind of lose sleep over it. You know, all these moments, these are special moments that not everybody gets to experience. Wow, what are you doing over here? How are you dry right now? My question is, how are you dry? Muncie, I don't know, but let's not question it. Let's not question a good thing. What do you think about Lux, all grown up, smoking a cigar now? Kind of nice, huh? Look at the man. He's growing up in front of our eyes. Yeah. What can you say about what he's been able to come back from and contribute to you guys? He's been great for us, man. We needed him to be big, and he came up big for us. We had a lot of injuries, and when that all happened, this man right here stepped up big. He's finally becoming Gavin Lux, and that was huge for us. The guy had some big hits for us, and he's going to continue to have some more big hits for us. Max Muncie knows something about big hits, right, Lux? Absolutely. You're looking at the man right here. All right, there they are. We got to figure out why you're so fucking dry over here. We'll figure that out a little bit later. We'll send it back to you. All right, it's live television. Stuff like that happens when they're celebrating, and there's a party involved, and I think the cigars are probably a new touch to the Dodgers' celebration this year. Right now, let's head back inside. Miguel Rojas, he is standing by with Kirsten. Yeah, I mean, one thing that a lot of people don't know is this group of guys were committed to win this year. And I know it's, I mean, when you say things like that, it's really hard because you have to perform and you have to go out there and do it, but this team took this series like it's a postseason series, and that's what our mentality was. We lost the first one, but we never stopped fighting yesterday and today. We came from behind, and that tells a lot about what we have right here. We have a group of guys fighting, and we're going to do it our own way. The intensity is going to be there. We're a different team. The Dodgers always do it this way. A lot of people, they don't show a lot of emotions, and I know people think that we're not fighters, but it's not like that. In this clubhouse, everybody knows that the heart is there for the team, and I think this year we got a lot of things to prove, and we're going to go to the postseason thinking about it that way. What was the theme of your series win speech just now? Yeah, for me, it's like we're not going to stop now. We got to go to Colorado, take care of business over there, and we got four more series to win. That's what my message was to the guys. We got four more series that we're going to take a picture. We're going to take a shot together because that's what we've been doing ever since last year. Maybe last year was a little bit premature. We couldn't get it done, but that doesn't mean that this year we're not going to go for it, and we got short on our side. Hopefully, Fred is going to be okay for the postseason. I'll do whatever I need to do to be ready for Saturday, and that's the only thing I can promise you guys, that I'm going to leave my heart and my body out on the line, and then whatever happens after that, we'll take care of it for next year. When you see your team win in the fashion that you guys did and how badly you wanted to be out there, is that a driving force for you, not only to fight your way back to getting healthier and being ready for October? Yeah, I mean, for me, it's not a secret. To play shortstop at this time, it's really hard to stay healthy and to stay on the field, but I'm doing everything that I can, and I know just one way to play the game, and it's all out every single day. I've been told by my coaches not to try to steal bases and not to try to run everybody out because they need me out there, but that's what I do. I'm trying to play the game with passion, and that's what I bring to the table every single day, and that's what MIGI RAW is all about. I'm going to be working hard to get back on Saturday and be ready for the first day of the playoff. I think this series showed that this is a very special team and a fight you guys have. How excited are you to see what you all can achieve in October? Yeah, I'm excited to see all of these guys with the confidence that we're getting right now. I think this series against this pretty good team, they've been playing the best baseball ever since May, so it was a good task for us to be ready for the postseason, and it's closer. It's closer. It's going to be a week away from playing games in October, and I'm really excited to see what this group of guys can do in October. You guys know a lot of injuries this year. How impressive was it that you guys just kind of stayed together through it? That's a message by Doug. You know, Doug said thank you to everybody because we stick together. It doesn't matter the downs that we have at some point of the year. Guys step it up, you know, Kike, CT, Loxie, hitting third and being the middle of the lineup at that time when he asked for... I think that's the character of this team, you know? Character always going to surpass the talent, and I feel like that's what we have in this group right now. A lot of talent, but the character is going to be the thing that is going to make us win the World Series. We heard Miguel Rojas saying hopefully Freddie Freeman is okay for the postseason. Freddie on the field. His right foot is in a walking boot, rolled that ankle during this game late in the game. The Dodgers are saying no structural damage, and they have nine days, no more, until the beginning of that National League Division Series. Not too much concern, at least, on Freddie's face right now, so hopefully that is the case. No, then that's a good sign, right? That's what you're looking for, and, you know, obviously we also saw him in the locker. They had him just at the time of crutches. I think a walking boot was probably precautionary, making sure. But, yeah, you have days. Hopefully it is just a sprained ankle. Listen, that's all it is. Not easy, but you can handle it and take care of it. You have some time to try to get that swelling out there so we can get back out there on the field. Make no mistake, if that's all it is, we're seeing Freddie Freeman out there in the postseason. Absolutely, and you see him smiling with his family, enjoying it with his family. I'm so glad his family is there with him. They deserve it. They need to celebrate here. And, again, it's just a sprained ankle. No structural damage. Good to know that. Freddie will be ready to go when need be. All right, you see them still down on the field. There is some celebrating still continuing here from Dodgers Stadium, although pretty soon they've got to shower up and hop on an airplane and head to Colorado because they have three more games to close out the regular season. But until then, we'll have more reaction from the stadium coming up. Let's head back inside and hear more from Clayton Kershaw. He's standing by with David Vasse. Man, emotional day here at Dodgers Stadium. We had A.J. Ellis and Clayton Kershaw reunited but on different sides, and Kershaw means so much to this organization. Without him, there is no Dodgers in this generation. What does this one mean to you to come all the way back from shoulder surgery to contribute and still have a lot more left to give? Yeah, it's been a really fun year to watch. Obviously, I would have liked to have contributed more to this year, but it's a great group of guys. I say it every year, but you never know when you're never going to get to do this again. So regardless if you pitched one inning or 200 innings, you've got to celebrate. You've got to enjoy it. It was a great night. This group is awesome. We have a chance to do something special, and this is a good start to it. Did you guys not only prove something to the Padres, but prove something to yourselves in that seventh inning? This was a big win. Yeah, no doubt. I think after that first game where we lost in the way we did, that's a tough game to bounce back from. So for us to get that win yesterday and then come back tonight, you've got to give a lot of credit to Walker. Pitched awesome. And then our bullpen did a great job, and we hung in there as best we could, and then our offense exploded. And that's what it's going to take in the postseason. There's going to be games where the offense doesn't get three runs early or something like that. So for us, as a pitching staff, Walker and the bullpen just shut them down the way they did and keep us in the game and give those guys a third and fourth at bat to get us some runs. It's one of the best lineups I've ever seen in a Dodger team. So with the guys that we have, starting with Shohei on down, it's a good recipe for winning some games in October. Ever since Bueller's been called up and has started pitching on a regular basis, it feels like he's a defiant younger brother. How proud are you of him tonight? You know, I don't take any credit for any mentoring of Walker Bueller, but I'll tell you what, in a big game like tonight, the first time he's pitched on four days rest all season, for him to come back and, you know, pitch the way he did and want the ball and go out there and do it, I've always said it about Walker, but the bigger the moment, it seems like the more he wants to pitch. So that's good. It's good for the Dodgers. It's good for October, and it's a great sign. He pitched great tonight. Hey, Frank Stallone once said this, Kershaw, far from over. You're far from over. I expect to see that toe healed and ready to go in 10 days. I'll do my best. Hey, fresh off an Emmy, Clayton Kershaw celebrating a division championship. Yeah, division championship seems a little better right now, but I'll take both. Thanks, Clayton. I appreciate it. Thanks, David. There he is, the man, the pillar of strength for the Dodgers. We'll send it back to you. What a way to celebrate the final home game of the regular season. The Dodgers, National League West champions once again. Their next game here at the Ravine, game one of the NLDS next Saturday. Hometown team. Right now he's standing by with David Vasse. You know who it is. It's a member of the great 1A, Jack Flaherty, celebrating a division championship as a Dodger. How does that sound? I don't even know. It's special. I try to take it all in outside and just take this moment in and enjoy it. Something I don't know if I ever thought was actually going to happen, so it's pretty freaking cool. You've been a big part of it the second half of the season. Ever since you were traded here, Jack, what does it mean to you to somewhat have redemption and silence the critics this year? It's been a lot of fun. This year's been a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to the next step, pitching in October. Playing with this team, playing with this group of guys has been just freaking awesome, and I can't wait for the next steps. Dodgers taking the team photo on the field as National League West champions, hoping to take three more such team photos and champagne celebrations in the month of October. Tested and bruised, but still unbroken, and division champs again. Man, this is so sweet. I couldn't be more proud of these guys. We checked box number one. Long way to go, but we're going to celebrate tonight. Dude. We're going to fight. We're going to fight to the end, no matter what. We're losing, bro. This is my first time winning a division, and I can't wait for the full season to start. These moments excite you for what's to come in October? Yeah, that's what I live for. This team's got a lot on their plate. My question is, how are you dry? You've got to celebrate. You've got to enjoy it. This group's awesome. We have a chance to do something special. This is a good start to it. Congratulations on this moment, this win. Enjoy it, pal. Thank you, I appreciate it. Let's go! What a fun night here at Dodger Stadium. Yes, the champagne bottle. Jerry got that from the clubhouse. They were happy to share. It says it right there. We own the West. Everyone knows where that came from. Still, a great night. You didn't. They gave it to you. A great night, nonetheless, and a deserving celebration for this team. Nothing really has come easy for this team. Jerry, all season long, with everything they've had to go through, it was just really cool to be able to see them close it out in the fashion they did against a really good Padres team. Especially after that first game of the series, they continued to battle back. They did not fold up their tents. They came back. One game, two, to put themselves in position, and another comfort behind win. Will Smith, the big show, Mookie Betts. All in all, a great team win. Congrats, NL West champs. I mean, really impressive. They know they had an opportunity to close it here at home, in front of your home fans, and that means you had to win the last two games against a very good San Diego Padres team. And they got the job done. They played with enthusiasm. They played together. It kind of epitomizes the entire season. And you know what? They earned it, and they deserve to be the NL champs. And you know what? This is just step one. This is step one. It's the biggest step, but it's step one. As they saw the last couple of years, now they've got to figure out that puzzle, how you get from game 162 to game one of the NLDS, maintain that same kind of intensity, and maintain a certain level of play that they've been showing here recently. And here's another thing, too. Yes, you want to keep that intensity. They're going to use that buy to make sure they get healthy as much as possible and be ready to go. Listen, you want to make sure your body is fresh as possible, but you keep that intensity throughout so you're ready to go game one of the NLDS. Yeah, it's a challenge. We said that. We've seen it, but they've got to figure it out this year. They've had opportunities, but now they've just got to figure that out. They've got to keep working and be ready. And it's probably coming at a good time. Freddie Freeman won't play this weekend no more. He'll get three days off, and then however much time he needs next week as well, and Miguel Rojas, too. Yeah, these guys obviously nursing some injuries because we know they're going to be important pieces for their run to try to get to the ultimate goal. And you can set up your rotation, which is another key. They didn't do that last year. All right, that does it for us on a great night at Dodgers Stadium. For Jerry Nomar, David Vestaghe, Kirsten Watson, I'm John. Thanks for watching Dodgers, your NL West champs.