Dodgers near NL West title but have never looked more vulnerable

When Shohei Ohtani hitting off a tee is positive news, you know you're in trouble.

The Los Angeles Dodgers can clinch their 13th NL West crown in 14 years when they play the Reds in Cincinnati Wednesday, Sept. 16. But they have never looked so vulnerable with the playoffs set to begin in less than two weeks.

Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers' All-Star first baseman, missed two games recently for tendinitis in his right knee. His bat has been ailing, too. He’d gone 1-for-26 before finally breaking out Tuesday while going 3-for-5.

The optimist will point out the Dodgers have won 10 of their last 12 games. But during that stretch, they have piled up victories against subpar teams.

Whether Los Angeles is equipped to beat the best teams in baseball remains to be seen. After all, in August the Dodgers suffered three-game sweeps to the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves. They also lost three of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Those are the caliber of teams the Dodgers have to beat to become the first National League club to win three straight World Series titles.

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Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/