Los Angeles. And so the beat goes on here in LA where the 109-48 Dodgers continue to blow away the weaker teams in their division. They own a 23 game lead on second place San Diego with five games left to play. That is crazy.
They have 215 wins since the start of last season and 929 over their last ten seasons. Maybe that’s why they average close to four million in attendance every year. Last night they destroyed the Rockies 10-1.
The Rockies only run was given up by San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic’s Hanser Alberto, Dodger 3rd baseman, in the top of the 9th inning, so they didn’t use another bullpen guy. The Dodgers scored eight runs in the 4th inning with one solid hit after another and with Clayton Kershaw on the mound for six innings, it was game over again.
What will be interesting, is when they have to face the top teams in the playoffs. They have beaten them all but in a seven-game series things could be different. I see some weak spots in their machine that a club like the Mets or Braves can exploit and they will more than likely have to play both of them to get to the World Series.
Edwin Díaz pitched both the 8th and 9th innings for the Mets win. (Photo George Napolitano/ Latino Sports)
They do not have a closer. The Mets have the best in baseball in Naguabo, Puerto Rico’s Edwin Díaz. The Braves have Willemstad, Curacao’s Kenley Jansen but he has been nothing like the closer he was for 12 years with the Dodgers. All of this could play heavily in a short series.
Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
I give a small edge in starting pitching to the Mets because of the Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom two headed monster. I wouldn’t look to deep into deGrom’s last few outings where he has given up the long ball. He is a super competitor and will be more than ready for the playoffs.
Image credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The Braves are the reining champions and are playing really well right now but New York and Atlanta could wear each other out like the Dodgers and Giants did last year when the two best teams in the National League had to play each other early in the playoffs with neither one advancing to the World Series. The Dodgers though have one thing both of those clubs don’t have, depth. That is the one factor that could trump all the other things those two teams, as well as all the others the Dodgers may have to face, in their quest to be World Series champs.
All I can say is, sit back, enjoy this years fall classic and expect the unexpected.
