Call to the pen
Fansided

Dodgers news and notes for the last week of May

By Sarah Maninger

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 19: Joc Pederson #31, Alex Verdugo #27 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the final out of the 8-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 19, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 19: Joc Pederson #31, Alex Verdugo #27 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the final out of the 8-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 19, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Somehow, we have already reached the end of May, and the end of the first two months of the season. How do the Dodgers look heading into their series’ against the Pirates and Mets?

DODGERS MAY RECORD: 12-6

DODGERS OVERALL: 32-18

Welcome to the end of May, and the final series’ before the playoff push begins in earnest. Teams are starting to fall out of the race, or rise to the occasion. A weak team sweeping a good one in one series is a coincidence, but as the season rages on, coincidences are less and less frequent, bringing division leaders to the forefront of the playoff conversation.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a central part of that conversation all season long. They have the best record in the National League, a serious MVP contender in Cody Bellinger, and a strong Cy Young candidate in Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Let’s take a look at where the team stands heading into the weekend.

A Division race that *might* be over by mid-July

The NL West is a solid division. The San Francisco Giants are in rebuilding mode, but every other team has a fighting chance to challenge the Dodgers for the division crown, but for that to happen something has to go horribly awry in LA. The Padres are better than they used to be, and understandably so. Manny Machado has hit four of his nine homers this season off of Dodger pitching. Barring a surprise run from the Rockies or the D-Backs, the Padres are really the only team that could challenge the Dodgers in 2019.

The Dodgers are a ferocious team, and pretty much lethal when playing at home. No team in the NL West is as strong as the Dodgers. The Padres have a very real shot at a wild card spot but, based off the last two months, it seems the Dodgers’ reign atop the west isn’t over yet.

It’s the Cubs vs. the Dodgers in the National League yet again

The National League is STACKED. Any baseball fan paying even the smallest amount of attention this season can see that. The Dodgers are leading the charge, but close behind them are the Cubs, the Phillies, and the Brewers. The Dodgers have widened the gap in the NL West, but the road back to the World Series won’t be easy, especially if any one of those teams trades for an arm or a power bat before the deadline.

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