Dodgers officially clinch playoff berth. But the real work is just beginning

CINCINNATI –– There was no champagne shower.No dogpile on the mound.

No raucous celebration of what, for most other clubs, would be a triumphant accomplishment.Instead, on the day the Dodgers officially clinched a playoff berth for a 14th-straight season, they simply strolled out of the dugout for routine high-fives on the field in the wake of a 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.Getting to the playoffs, after all, was never the goal for the two-time defending champions.And over the rest of the regular season, there is more work to do to bolster their three-peat bid.The biggest news, opinion and culture shaping California right now.

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Never miss a story First and foremost is locking up the National League West division, something the Dodgers could do this week with their magic number now down to three.While that will come with a more formal clubhouse party, the even bigger priority is securing a top-two NL playoff seed and a bye through the best-of-three wild card round to open the playoffs.Though the club navigated that elongated path last year, an extra week of rest will be paramount for the team now.Already, the Dodgers’ lineup has been without Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing on the injured list.This week brought renewed uncertainty to the health status of Freddie Freeman (who missed his third game in the last week Monday with a right knee injury) and Miguel Rojas (who aggravated a shoulder injury on a diving play Sunday, but was able to play through soreness on Monday).On the pitching side, more questions abound, especially after breakout right-handed reliever Edgardo Henriquez hit the injured list on Monday with a back problem, and $69 million closer Edwin Díaz suffered a five-run implosion during a triple-A rehab outing this weekend that put his chances of making the playoff roster in doubt...