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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, October 3, 2009

Dodgers clinch NL West with 5-0 win over Rockies


JOE RESNICK
For The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers' magic number for clinching the NL West is down to zero — finally.

After a season-worst five-game losing streak, they came through with one game left in the regular season and beat the stubborn Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Saturday night with a five-run seventh triggered by RBI singles from pinch-hitters Ronnie Belliard and Mark Loretta and six scoreless innings by 21-year-old lefty Clayton Kershaw.

Los Angeles' second straight division title wasn't as easy to secure as it appeared to be last weekend, when it held a six-game lead with seven games remaining. The Rockies, who were 15½ games behind the Dodgers on June 3, entered this three-game series having to sweep to win their first division title in the franchise's 17-year history.