For 11th time in 12 seasons, Dodgers are best in NL West

LOS ANGELES -- When the Dodgers left Camelback Ranch in March and boarded a long flight to Seoul, South Korea, they laid all of their plans out in front of them.

Their biggest goal, of course, is to win the World Series. That’s the expectation the Dodgers always have on them, but especially after spending more than $1 billion in contracts this winter. But before they could embark on that journey, the Dodgers’ first goal was to win the National League West.

Mission accomplished.

With a 7-2 win over the Padres on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers continued one of the most dominant runs in Major League history, securing their 11th NL West title in 12 seasons.

Coming into the season, the Dodgers carried more expectations -- both external and internal -- than any other team in the sport. That’s what comes with signing Shohei Ohtani, arguably the best player in the sport, to the biggest contract in American sports over the winter, pairing him with superstars Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

But even with a star-studded roster, the Dodgers weren’t immune to the adversity that comes with playing a 162-game marathon. In fact, the Dodgers had to navigate through more injuries than most teams, particularly with their starting pitchers. All five hurlers that opened the season in the rotation were placed on the injured list at least once or were traded.

On the offensive side, the Dodgers went months without Betts and Max Muncy. Freeman also had to step away from the team for two weeks as he dealt with a family matter.

Through all that, however, the Dodgers -- even though it got close at the end -- never wavered.