MLB Second Half Preview 2013: The National League West

The National League West is all about who’s going to break away from the pack. One perfectly timed winning streak could write the NL West’s final story, because the second half of the season generally consists of a few more inner-division games. Meaning, more games to make up more ground.

The disparity between first and last place has expanded recently, in large part due to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ve climbed out of the cellar, winning 15 of their last 20 games and 19 of their last 30.  They now trail the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks by just 2.5 games entering the break.

With the Dodgers’ rise, however, the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies have fallen. So really, the gap between first and last place (8.5 games), hasn’t expanded much, if you think about it. The order has simply shaken up in the midst of Los Angeles’ hot streak.

What’s in store for the second half? Let’s take a look.