LOS ANGELES -- A new manager still yielded the same results for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who not only clinched their fourth consecutive National League West title but also set a franchise record by punching their postseason ticket for a fourth consecutive year. Charlie Culberson hit a home run in the 10th inning to give the Dodgers a win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday and lock up the division title. The Dodgers will open their playoff run in the National League Division Series on Oct. 7, likely against the Washington Nationals. Dave Roberts replaced Don Mattingly as manager in the offseason and guided the Dodgers from a slow April and May and past what should have been a crippling amount of injuries. The injury woes were highlighted by the herniated disk in Clayton Kershaw's lower back that forced the three-time Cy Young Award winner to miss 75 days. The Dodgers put 28 different players on the disabled list this season, the most by any club in baseball over the past 30 years. Putting Roberts square in the manager of the year conversation was the fact that after Kershaw was lost following his June 26 start at Pittsburgh, the team actually got better -- led by a resurgent bullpen and an offense that flipped the switch at the most critical time of the season. In July, Los Angeles was second in baseball with an .800 OPS. Although that production has cooled somewhat, the Dodgers are now a more confident offensive team. It has made them a more complete package to go along with Kershaw, who returned on Sept. 9, and trade-deadline acquisition Rich Hill, who has been solid since returning from the disabled list because of blister issues on two fingers of his left (pitching) hand. Roberts becomes just the second rookie manager in Dodgers history to guide the club to a division title. Tommy Lasorda did the same in 1977. Injuries forced Roberts to use 55 different players this season, including 31 different pitchers, with both numbers tying club records. The Dodgers used 15 different starting pitchers. In the 133 years of the franchise -- starting when they were called the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1884 -- the longest run of consecutive postseason appearances before the current one was two in a row, done seven times, most recently from 2008 to 2009.
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