Dodgers playing the part of favorites
The Los Angele Dodgers aren’t playing around. After years of being ultra-talented but falling short of a World Series berth, the men in blue and white seem hellbent on getting to the Fall Classic for the first time since Kirk Gibson and co. in 1988.
At 41-33, the Dodgers are leading the competitive National League West by a game over the San Francisco Giants and five games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Los Angeles was picked to win the division by most before the campaign began, despite the Giants having won three of the last five championships. To this point, the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly are doing their part in making the experts look good.
Last year, Los Angeles made the playoffs as the division champion only to lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Division Series. This year, the Dodgers are hoping to finally break through the wall that is St. Louis and San Francisco.
The team is led by super-ace Clayton Kershaw, who is coming off a season in which he won his second straight Cy Young Award, the third of his career. Kershaw, 27, went 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA in 2014 and after a slow start is beginning to come around. This year, Kershaw is 5-5 with a 3.33 ERA, still a fine campaign for almost anyone else in the league. Kershaw also has 135 strikeouts against 25 walks.
The best pitcher for Los Angeles to this point in 2015 is Kershaw’s running mate, Zack Greinke. In 15 starts this season, Greinke has amassed 14 quality starts on his way to a 1.70 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Without question, Greinke is a strong candidate to start the All-Star game and could find himself winning a Cy Young award for the first time.
Offensively, Adrian Gonzalez has been destroying pitchers on a consistent basis. Gonzalez is leading Los Angeles with a .295 average and 46 RBI, along with 13 home runs and a .369 on-base percentage. Then there is rookie Joc Pederson, who has crushed 19 home runs and 11 doubles, showing the power inside the youngster. With Yasiel Puig, Howie Kendrick and Andre Ethier filling out the lineup, Mattingly has plenty of men to rely on.
Ultimately, the Dodgers have the best team in the division. Along with the Washington Nationals and Cardinals, Los Angeles has the best shot to reach the World Series. It would be a major step for the franchise, one with so much history that ranges from Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider to Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Tommy LaSorda.
For the folks who populate Dodger Stadium every night, the 27-year wait for a World Series championship has been far too long. It is somewhat of a put-up or shutup campaign for Los Angeles, putting the pressure on every night.
