Even with their loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers remain on track to have their best season, in terms of win-loss record, by a wide margin. The 1953 Brooklyn team went 105-49 and lost in the World Series in six games to the New York Yankees.
The Dodgers’ success this season has seemingly been years in the making. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has assembled depth that extends beyond the active roster, while retaining key contributors over the past offseason.
Although the Dodgers fell behind in the National League West standings, they capitalized on series against the Colorado Rockies and Diamondbacks in June and July, respectively, to take hold of the division.
Rockies All-Star center fielder Charlie Blackmon recently praised the Dodgers, via Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe:
“I think what they have is a lineup where they have a few guys who can play multiple positions and that’s extremely valuable,” said Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon. “They have a great closer [Kenley Jansen], a great starting pitcher [Clayton Kershaw], and a whole staff of pitchers that are pretty tough.”
Blackmon’s comments were made prior to the Dodgers further bolstering their pitching staff by trading for Yu Darvish. The right-handed ace figures to serve as a complement to Clayton Kershaw in the postseason, while potentially also lessening the burden on the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
In spite of being overtaken by the Dodgers in the NL West standings, the Rockies find themselves in a tight Wild Card race with the Diamondbacks. Arizona holds a half-game lead to host the one-game playoff entering Wednesday.
The Rockies’ best season in franchise history came in 2009 when they finished 92-70, but that was only good for second place in the NL West. Colorado has never won a division title since being added as an expansion franchise in 1993. They currently are 64-49.
