Unlikely cast lifts LA to 4th straight crown

LOS ANGELES — Not since the last Dodgers World Series squad of 1988 has Vin Scully called a more improbable first-place team than the 2016 edition, which clinched a fourth consecutive division title Sunday.

The Dodgers all season have had a patchwork starting rotation, including the loss of ace Clayton Kershaw for 2 1/2 months and most of the year without Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brett Anderson, Brandon McCarthy and Alex Wood. All told, they set a modern record with 32 placements on the disabled list, from Andre Ethier’s broken leg to Rich Hill’s persistent finger blister.

The Dodgers are the first team in National League West history to win the division in four consecutive seasons. The last MLB team to win four straight division titles was the Tigers (2011-14, American League Central) and the last NL club to do so was the Phillies, who won the NL East in five consecutive seasons from 2007-11.

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Dave Roberts joins Tommy Lasorda (1977) as the only rookie managers ever to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a division title, while president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi assembled their second division champion in as many seasons with the club. Friedman presented a deep and gritty roster to Roberts, who deftly maneuvered it to become a solid candidate for NL Manager of the Year.

• Get official NL West champs gear

Roberts has led a team that didn’t beat itself with careless mistakes, one that …

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