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Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez leads majors in RBIs

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez slaps hands with fans as he runs around the outfield of Dodger Stadium on Sept. 24 while celebrating the club's National League West title.
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez slaps hands with fans as he runs around the outfield of Dodger Stadium on Sept. 24 while celebrating the club’s National League West title.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Seven times, Adrian Gonzalez has driven in 100 or more runs.

But the season just completed is the first in which the four-time all-star has led the league in runs batted in.

Gonzalez blasted a three-run home run in the Dodgers’ regular-season finale Sunday, raising his season RBI total to 116.

That not only topped the National League, but the majors.

“It’s cool,” Gonzalez said. “It’s what I’m here for. Being able to get that title is a cool accomplishment.”

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Gonzalez finished five RBIs ahead of Mike Trout of the Angels and 11 ahead of NL runner-up Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins.

“When you’re a kid, you dream of being the home-run hitter, the RBI hitter, the batting-title champ and all that stuff, so it’s cool,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez batted .276 with a team-leading 27 home runs and 41 doubles.

Told he could one day tell his children he beat Trout at something, Gonzalez smiled and replied, “I can tell my kids I beat Miguel Cabrera at something.”

Cabrera finished with 109 RBIs.

“He took the batting title away from me a couple years ago,” Gonzalez said with a laugh.

That was in 2011, when Gonzalez batted a career-high .338 with the Boston Red Sox. Cabrera batted .344 that season.

Gonzalez isn’t the only league leader on the Dodgers.

Clayton Kershaw led the major leagues in wins (21) and earned-run average (1.77).

And second baseman Dee Gordon led the major leagues in steals (64) and triples (12).

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