What happened: Los Angeles needs one combined win or one loss by its closest pursuer to finish the division race. The magic number is down to 1 with the calendar in mid-September.
Why it matters: That leaves the Dodgers on the doorstep of locking up the standings fight before the final stretch. An early clinch would also give the club more freedom to line up its pitching and manage workload for October.
By the numbers: The club's recent public countdown was at 2 and is now at 1. At that number, any single Dodgers win or single loss by the nearest chaser ends the race.
What to watch: The next Dodgers result can trigger the clinch immediately. If the closest pursuer loses first, the standings math is over before Los Angeles plays again.