1988 Dodgers Week 25 review: Magic number down to 1

The Dodgers had a busy week, with eight games in seven days. They got two more shutouts from Orel Hershiser — one in Houston, another in San Francisco — and won five of their eight games during the week. They had a chance to clinch the National League West on Sunday but settled for ending the week with a magic number of one to clinch their first division title in three years.

Dodger Batter of the Week: Second baseman Steve Sax set the table all week, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with two doubles, three walks and four stolen bases. He narrowly beat Mike Marshall, who slugged two home runs and three doubles during the week.

Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Two more shutouts make this an easy choice. Orel Hershiser takes the honors this week after extending his scoreless streak to 49 innings. Honorable mention goes to Tim Belcher, who allowed two runs in 17 innings and pitched a shutout of his own on Tuesday in Houston.

Week 25 Record: 5-3

30 runs scored (3.75 per game)
24 runs allowed (3.00 per game)
.601 pythagorean winning percentage

Seasonal Record: 91-64

612 runs scored (3.92 per game)
526 runs allowed (3.37 per game)
.569 pythagorean winning percentage (88-67)

Potent potables: With the Dodgers on the precipice of winning the NL West, the club has decided to temporarily lift its ban on alcohol in the clubhouse for special occasions, such as celebrating a division win. "It was no big deal," Dodgers player representative Dave Anderson told Sam McManis of the LA Times. "We hope we get to do it three times."

Transactions:

• Thursday: The Dodgers signed all of Tommy Lasorda's coaching staff — hitting coach Ben Hines, pitching coach Ron Perranoski, first base coach Manny Mota, third base coach Joey Amalfitano, bullpen coach Mark Cresse, Bill Russell and Joe Ferguson — to contracts for the 1989 season.

Game Results:

• Monday, Sept. 19: Dodgers 1, Astros 0
• Tuesday, Sept. 20: Dodgers 6, Astros 0
• Wednesday, Sept. 21: Game 1 - Padres 9, Dodgers 3 | Game 2 - Dodgers 6, Padres 5 (10)
• Thursday, Sept. 22: Padres 5, Dodgers 4
• Friday, Sept. 23: Dodgers 3, Giants 0
• Saturday, Sept. 24: Dodgers 7, Giants 3
• Sunday, Sept. 25: Giants 2, Dodgers 0

Upcoming Week: The Dodgers run the Don Mason gauntlet, finishing up their regular season with three games in San Diego and three at home against the Giants. The Dodgers will activate Fernando Valenzuela, who has been on the disabled list since July 31 with a strained left shoulder, to start Monday night in San Diego.

Previous 1988 weeks in review: April 4-10 | April 11-17 | April 18-24 | April 25-May 1 | May 2-8 | May 9-15 | May 16-22 | May 23-29 | May 30-June 5 | June 6-12 | June 13-19 | June 20-26 | June 27-July 3 | July 4-10 | July 11-17 | July 18-24 | July 25-31 | Aug 1-7 | Aug 8-14 | Aug 15-21 | Aug 22-28 | Aug 29-Sept 4 | Sept 5-11 | Sept 12-18

Week 25 Stats