At this point it is very clear that the Dodgers and the Giants are going to the post season. What will be settled, potentially by tonight in the final game in their three-game series, is the particulars of who gets home field advantage and gets to play less games in the post season. 

Of course all signs point to the Dodgers taking the division for the second year in a row and San Francisco getting a wild card berth down the road. Clayton Kershaw is once again being called on to deliver the Dodgers to the promised land from the mound tonight. Kershaw is the best thing that this team has going, and history has shown that he does not often fail to bring success.

Should the Dodgers lose, then they have a series against the Colorado Rockies to worry about next. A loss against the Giants means that they would have to clinch the division against them. The upcoming rotation for that weekend's starters would be Roberto Hernandez, Dan Haren and Zack Greinke.

However, if the Dodgers do win tonight (and to be honest, that is a really strong likelihood with Kershaw on the mound), then there really is not much of an incentive to win games. The Nationals have the best record in the National League at 92-64 and the Dodgers are not likely to catch them. If LA comes away with the title tonight, then expect the line-up to be altered to not strain the most critical parts of their post season game plan.

As for the San Francisco Giants, they have one more battle with Southern California waiting for them after Los Angeles: the San Diego Padres, the team that they could not beat a few weeks ago. It is very likely that they could manage to get the proper number of wins in the next few weeks, but that is not the biggest problem the Giants face. The fact is the Giants do not control their own destiny. 

A four game series against the team that shut them out is not exactly the most enticing thing for them, especially considering that the Padres have nothing to lose at this point.  Not only that but Andrew Cashner is pitching brilliantly for San Diego at the moment, but he has shown an ability to deliver, especially as seen by against the Giants in the ninth inning of game three.

The race for the NL West is heating up before it dies down in a few days. Tonight is the night that LA and San Francisco begin to shape up what the post season is going to look like.