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A16 SPORTS
Thursday 24 sepTember 2020
Dodgers clinch NL's top seed, West title with win over A's

By JOE REEDY No. 3 seed.
AP Sports Writer Mark Canha had two of
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wrap- Oakland's five hits.
ping up an NL West title has Seager tied it at 1 in the first
become routine for the Los with an RBI single and then
Angeles Dodgers, but in a led off the fifth with a drive
year in which no one was to center off T.J. McFarland
sure three months ago if to extend LA's lead to 6-2.
there would be a baseball Muncy gave the Dodgers a
season, manager Dave 3-2 lead in the third inning
Roberts wanted his team to with a two-run homer. Tay-
still savor the moment. lor and Pollock extended it
The Dodgers clinched the with solo shots in the fourth
NL's top postseason seed off Oakland starter Frankie
and eighth straight division Montas (3-5).
title Tuesday night with a Grossman quickly gave
7-2 victory over the Oak- Oakland a 1-0 lead when
land Athletics. They are he homered off the left-
third team to win at least field pole in the first inning.
eight straight division titles, Sean Murphy briefly gave
joining the Atlanta Braves the Athletics a 2-1 ad-
(14 straight from 1991-2005) vantage when he led off
and New York Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a photo after the Dodgers clinched the NL West title with a 7-2 the third with a walk and
(nine straight from 1998- win over the Oakland Athletics in a baseball game Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, in Los Angeles. scored on a wild pitch by
2006). Associated Press May with two outs.
"To fast forward a couple Montas, who allowed only
months and be crowned day with a magic number it. to describe it," Muncy said. four home runs in his first
NL West champs is a credit of two and got help with "We talked about it in- "It's sad not to be celebrate seven starts, has given up
to everyone. It should nev- the Angels' 4-2 victory over stead of dumping stuff on as usual but we know there six in his past three. The
er be taken for granted," the San Diego Padres. people. It's a moment you is a lot more at stake." right-hander went four in-
Roberts said. "Truth be told Instead of a wild celebra- need to celebrate and we Dustin May (2-1) went nings and yielded five runs
a lot of guys didn't know tion on the mound after did," said Corey Seager, five innings and allowed on seven hits with a walk
we could clinch. We were Jake McGee struck out who had three hits and two runs on three hits. The and three strikeouts.
responsible but I let it know Sean Murphy for the final one of Los Angeles' four 22-year-old red-headed "They're a pretty good
that it has to be appreci- out, players briskly walked home runs, "It stinks not be- righty set a team record team that when you make
ated." out of the dugout to cele- ing able to do champagne by not allowing more than mistakes, they make you
The Dodgers, who own the brate with teammates. Ev- and beer showers because three earned runs in his first pay," Oakland manager
best record in the majors at eryone grabbed a division some of the younger guys 13 career starts, which in- Bob Melvin said. "They're
39-16, were the first team clinching shirt and cap be- haven't been able to expe- clude 10 this season. pretty good laying off and
in the majors to clinch a fore heading to the mound rience that." Robbie Grossman hom- making you throw it over
playoff berth on Sept. 16. for a group photo. Max Muncy, Chris Taylor ered for Oakland, which the plate. They made Mon-
They will open postseason The clubhouse celebration and AJ Pollock also went clinched its first AL West tas pay, unfortunately."
play on Sept. 30 by hosting was also muted. Cham- deep for Los Angeles, crown in seven years on Cody Bellinger added two
every game in a best-of- pagne was still involved, which leads the majors with Monday during a day off. hits for the Dodgers, in-
three series against the No. but it was players toasting 104 home runs. The Athletics, in the post- cluding an RBI single with
8 seed. each other with a glass in- "This whole year has been season for the third straight the bases loaded in the
Los Angeles came into the stead of being showered in weird. There's no other way year, currently are the AL's seventh.q

Frank de Boer appointed Netherlands coach

By MIKE CORDER the team losing all three ning four straight Eredivisie
THE HAGUE, Netherlands of its group games at the league titles from 2011-
(AP) — Frank de Boer was MLS Is Back tournament in 2014.
appointed coach of the Florida. But he has failed to impress
Netherlands on Wednes- De Boer, a tough defender since then. He was fired in
day, succeeding Ronald who won the Champions 2016 after only 85 days in
Koeman who quit to join League as a player for charge of Inter Milan and
Barcelona. Ajax in 1995, played 112 lasted just 10 weeks at
The federation said the games for the national Crystal Palace in 2017 be-
50-year-old De Boer team. He was assistant to fore being ousted after the
signed a contract through head coach Bert van Mar- team lost its first four Pre-
the World Cup in Qatar in wijk when the Netherlands mier League games with-
2022. reached the World Cup fi- out scoring a goal.
De Boer's appointment nal in South Africa in 2010, De Boer's first match in
comes just over two losing by a single extra- charge will be a friend-
months after he left Atlan- time goal to Spain. ly international against
ta United by mutual con- De Boer had a success- Mexico on Oct. 7 at the In this May 19, 2019 file photo, Atlanta United coach Frank de
sent after a poor re-start ful start to his manage- Johan Cruyff Arena in Boer watches his team's MLS soccer match against the New
York Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J.
to the MLS season, with ment career at Ajax, win- Amsterdam.q Associated Press