SAN FRANCISCO _ The Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, 2-0, for their 105th victory. In Sunday's regular season finale, they have the opportunity to surpass the franchise record set by the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers. On Thursday, they will commence a seventh consecutive trip to the postseason as the National League favorites in pursuit of a third consecutive pennant and their first championship since 1988.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has overseen the last five years of the historic run since arriving in October 2014. There's a chance, if small, that he won't be around for a sixth.
Friedman isn't under contract for 2020; his five-year pact expires after this season. Friedman, 42, declined to discuss his situation other than to say he would like to return to Los Angeles. Dodgers president Stan Kasten also declined to comment on specifics, though he emphasized he was "pretty confident" Friedman will remain with the organization.
"I love him, I think he's done a great job, expect him to be here for a long time," Kasten said in a phone interview. "That's all I really can say about it."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hired by the Dodgers in November 2015 after Friedman's first season in Los Angeles. Together, they have led the Dodgers to 415 wins between the regular season and playoffs, four National League West division titles _ extending the organization's streak to seven _ and to a win short of a title in 2017.
"Everything I hear is [a new contract] is imminent, that it will get done," Roberts said before Saturday's game. "And, for me, that is very exciting and that would be my expectation as well. For me, there's no better executive in the game."
Roberts said Friedman has placed a premium on culture, on having "the right people" in a Dodgers uniform to create an atmosphere conducive to success. But winning takes talent and the Dodgers have sustained on-field success while not compromising their farm system with Friedman heading the front office of a franchise with deep pockets.
"I would argue to say: Name an executive in his first five years in any organization that has accomplished what he's accomplished," Roberts said. "And we're going to win a championship together."
To reach that goal next month, the Dodgers (105-56) will need performances like the one Hyun-Jin Ryu delivered Saturday in his final regular-season start. The left-hander put a stamp on his NL Cy Young resume with seven scoreless innings. He held the Giants (77-84) to five hits, struck out seven, and didn't grant a walk.
The performance, Ryu's third in a row of seven innings without a walk, required 97 pitches. The 32-year-old left-hander completed the season with a 2.32 earned-run average _ securing the major league ERA title _ in 182 2/3 innings across 29 starts. He leads the majors with 10 outings of at least seven scoreless innings. The workload was his largest since his rookie season in 2013.
After slugging his first career home run in his previous start, Ryu added more to his offensive profile Saturday with an RBI single for the game's first run in the fifth inning off Giants right-hander Logan Webb. Max Muncy swatted his 35th home run in the sixth, joining Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson as the first trio of teammates to hit at least 35 home runs in a season in franchise history. Kenley Jansen danced around two baserunners in the ninth inning to strike out the side and secure his 33rd save.
Saturday presented a formula that would buoy the Dodgers to that coveted World Series title. It's one Friedman and his colleagues have concocted over the last five years.
"Andrew is the center of it all," Roberts said.
