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| Have they buried the field already?
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Perhaps more improbable than the 12-0 home winning streak the Dodgers have mounted to start the season is the way in which they're winning some of these games. Last night, for example, Jeff Weaver, making his first start since September 2007, gave up a run and five hits over five innings and struck out six. When last we saw Weaver starting in the big leagues he was busy posting a 6.20 ERA and was giving up 190 hits in 146 innings. But the Dodgers, you see, are apparently charmed this year, and that even extends to knuckleheads like Weaver.
L.A. is 20-8, and have a five and a half game lead over the Giants, a team whom no one truly expects to contend all year. Same goes for the sinking, third-place Padres. Really, the Diamondbacks represent the only non-blue hope in the NL West, and they're now 1-4 against the Dodgers and sit eight and a half back. We must always be mindful of reading too much into the first month of the season, but as Eric Stephen at True Blue L.A. notes, this 20-8 record is identical to how the Dodgers got out of the blocks in 1981 and 1965, and those were good years for Los Angeles.
Scariest part? The Dodgers still have five games left on the current homestand, the next two of which come against the lowly Nats. If they take care of that bit of business and win this weekend's series against the Giants, we may be in a position to call this race before it even truly begins.
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Let's not be so quick to crown the Dodgers. The NL West is the weakest of the League's three divisions. Yes, the Dodgers have talent, but as the Phillies proved last year, sometimes it takes more than talent to win championships.
The Dodgers are a team to beat this year. No one is crowning them yet but I believe they have a great chance to compete for that. I think they have all the talents in place and are in a position to beat any team in the league.
The Dodgers currently have the best record in the National League...or actually, the best record in baseball. So even if their division is weak...they are showing some strength.
so what do they need, witchcraft??
the difference this year is that the dodgers have the strongest hitting line up in recent memory. there is power all the way down to casey blake in the eight spot. also their young players like loney, martin, ethier have more experience and are comfortable in their positions. i dont see anyone in the west giving them a hard time. as for the rest of the n.l., it remains to be seen if the phillies can repeat last years pitching performance and timely hitting.
This team as of right now has the best lineup from 1 to 8 in the NL they are a Quailty Starter and one Relief Pitcher away from a chance at the Series
The Dodgers' offense is obviously strong, but pitching could prove to be their Achilles' heel. If Hiroki Kuroda and Corey Wade don't come back strong from injury and Clayton Kershaw continues to show that he's not quite ready to be a major league starting pitcher, their impressive start could come to a crashing halt and they'll be forced to trade away one of their stars for a starting pitcher. I'm a lifelong Dodger fan, but it's way too early in the season and the team has too many holes to be considered a serious World Series threat...yet.
Yes...it is still early in the season but they are doing good, better than the D-Backs...and hopefully they will take it this year. For all you Dodger haters, look for something else to complain about...
Viva Los Doyers!!!
I love the Dodgers and have since 1965 and I've never seen a line-up like they have this year. I don't compare L.A. (who still have the best farm system in the league) to the Yankees (who always buy their championships) that perrenially have a strong line-up but can't finish. With that said I shrink back from even thinking of WS until I can see the Dodgers against the other strong teams in the league. I mean, really, who have the Dodgers really played this year? Like it or not, and I hate it, but the Gianys ALWAYS give the Dodgers trouble. They sweep the Giants at home then almost get swept in SF. So I won't be giving out crowns until the Dodgers have a 3-0 series lead and leading by 6 with 2 out in the bottom of, say, the 7th in the 4th game of the World Series. Yeah I love the Dodgers but I've seen em lose before when everyone expected a title. But then again I've seen em win it all when no one gave them a chance to win the west.
I NEVER listen to critics. I always wait for the movie to come out.
Yeah Dodgers!!! Early in the year I know but not just the best in the NL West, not just the best in the NL but the BEST in baseball right now!!! Alot can happen over the next few months but we can still dream and hope!!! Go Blue!!!
when did name calling become a national pastime of supposed professional writers and broadcasters?
what is this TMZ of sports?
We have solid hitting, we have speed and we have guys who can hit home runs. We also have very good 1,2 and 3 starting pitchers and a solid closer not to mention a very experienced and very good manager. Now if we can only shore up the bullpen and find maybe another SP or 2, I think we can go all the way. I think that the issue is not with what we do while the starting pitcher is on the mound. I think that the issue is what we do (or don't do) once we turn over the game to our bullpen.
Wade is already back and pitched 3 innings.
The last time I checked, the World Series wasnt played in April or May. I don't care if they win the first 30 games at home...then can then lose the next 51 and have a home record of 30-51... and everyone will forget they started out 30-0 at home. We've also seen that you dont have to win 130 games in a season to win the WS. The Cards won it a few years ago with only 83 total reg season victories. Don't worry baseball fans, the Dodgers wont keep this up for 6 months. Enjoy the winning streak while it lasts because it's fun to watch. They're on a hot streak right now and that's how baseball is... they'll eventually go cold and then a team playing hot will come into LA and sweep them. This isn't the start of their run to a pennant. Last I checked everyone plays 81 games at home and 81 games on the road. They have 69 more games to play at home and they're road record is not very impressive...they're 8-8. Not world beaters imho. So enough with the WS talk and just enjoy it while it lasts because it will soon be over... that you can count on.
Spoken like a true Dodgers fan!
Spoken like a Giants fan... Tell him to enjoy the view from behind. Dodgers will win the division, which by the way, is all the article is saying.
GO DODGER BLUE!!!!!!!
Anyone who knows baseball knows the Dodgers' record so far is impressive and heartening...but doesn't win them anything....yet. Inevitably, there will be unexpected injuries on this team and on others. How that shakes out effects what happens later. The Dodgers truly have a lot of offensive talent on their young roster and enough maturity to balance it. Their pitching is good, has flashes of brilliance but is suspect and remains to prove itself over the long run. And that's the only run that matters to knowledgeable baseball guys.
I LOVE the Dodgers; make no mistake and I am happy as can be, but I'm not jinxing anything by making proclamations. Oh, except that someone owes Ned Coletti some apologies. This team is not an accident.
The Dodgers need to bring up Lindblom from the minors. He's another youngster with great promise, and he's got poise. He's their next potentially outstanding pitching prospect.
The Dodgers really do seem to be the true leader in the west, which is the weakest division in the National League. A significant test for them will be how they do in the next 50 games without the services of Manny.