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“Dodgers-Make Everyone Else in the Division–Blue”

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It’s no longer a small sample size.

This Dodgers baseball team is pretty good.

Just look at what they did to the Colorado Rockies in what was supposed to be the “Fight for First Place” in the NL West.

When the Rockies left town they were reeling, getting swept, and falling 4-and-half back of LA in just a four day span.

Dave Roberts blue bunch are now (51-26). They have won 16-of their last 17-games.

There is pitching ace Clayton Kershaw, surprise starter Alex Wood, and relief ace Kenley Jansen, and not much else.

LA has a stunning rookie season with Cody Bellinger, a home run hitter, who was not even on the roster opening day.

They’ve won without much of a contribution from their iconic 1st baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has had 4-injuries this year. Gonzalez, a tower of strength his entire career, had never been on the disabled lit in his career. He’s visited in twice already this year.

The newly acquired 2nd baseman Logan Forsythe has been hurt twice. Ditto for power hitting 3rd sacker Justin Turner.

Star outfielder Joc Pederson, he of home run fame and big strikeouts, has been dinged twice, including a concussion.

Corey Seager is hitting (.298) and popping the ball, when a hamstring injury does not flare.

There have been limited contributions from Yasiel Puig, hitting just (.239) heading to the Rockies series.

The left fielder Andrew Toles is done for the year with knee surgery,and even super utility man Scott Van Slyke has been down with nagging hurts.

Guys like Chris Taylor, Brett Eisner and Alex Barnes have come from Oklahoma City and done things.

Kershaw is (11-2). Wood, a once promising Braves starter, sidetracked by injuries, is an amazing (8-0). And Jansen is Jansen, saving games, and striking out guys without issuing walks.

LA has done this with a myriad of other pitching problems. The age old blister problems for Rich Hill…the shaky health of Kenta Maeda…the slow recovery of Hyun Jin Ryu after nearly two seasons lost with shoulder surgery.

Brandon McCarthy is back, but seems like an accident waiting to happen to put him back on the DL.

And setup guys like Sergio Romo, Chris Hather and Adam Liberatore have all been on and off the mound, roster to the disabled list and back already.

It’s easy to dislike the Dodges and that near 220M payroll. Easy to dismiss their attitude about their still unresolved TV contract, as long as they get the rights fee every year, though 66% of the market still cannot see games on Sportiest LA.

But this is not manager Dave Roberts rolling the ball out to the mound and telling his stars to go win. His team has been challenged with injuries, and by the early season success of the Rockies and the other guy in the neighborhood, the Diamondbacks. Roberts has managed egos, moving parts, and sometimes a patch work lineup.

But here we are almost halfway thru the season, and this team is real. Just ask everyone else in baseball.

Maybe a potential showdown with the Houston Astros is coming, and they look like they might be for real too.

The Dodgers are winning everyway possible…and that makes the rest of the NL really blue

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