The Dodgers clinched their 13th National League West title in the past 14 seasons on Thursday afternoon with an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. With the victory, Los Angeles claimed its fifth consecutive NL West crown and earned its 14th straight postseason berth, matching the MLB record set by the Atlanta Braves from 1991 to 2005.

Amid the Dodgers' celebration, frontline starters Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell shared a memorable exchange, with Skubal calling Snell his “best friend.”

Skubal: "It's gonna be special. It's gonna be the first of many."

Snell: "Tell em it's gonna be special because you're playing this postseason with your boy."

Skubal: "This is my best friend; he's my little brother."

😂😂 #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/NbuCXndo63

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 17, 2026

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The two left-handers have not been teammates for long. Snell recently returned from the injured list, while Los Angeles acquired Skubal from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline. Since joining the Dodgers, Skubal owns a 2.52 ERA with a 3-2 record across eight starts.

Skubal is expected to be a big part of Los Angeles' postseason rotation alongside Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto has been the only Dodgers starting pitcher to make every turn through the rotation this season, while Snell's status became uncertain after he left Wednesday's start against the Reds after just 19 pitches because of left groin tightness.

Los Angeles will have time to manage the roster after clinching with nine games remaining. The Dodgers entered Thursday at 93-60 and held a four-game advantage over Atlanta the NL's No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, although the Braves own the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Los Angeles is pursuing an unprecedented third consecutive World Series championship after winning the title in 2024 and 2025. The Dodgers rotation could feature Snell, Skubal, Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, provided their health allows.