Nothing’s been hotter than the Dodgers since the All Star break. Not the San Fernando Valley, not the deserts in Palm Springs, not even the edges of the Antelope Valley. The Dodgers are the hottest team in the league and perhaps the hottest group in all of sports.
The Dodgers went 4-2 last week and are 6-3 in their last nine games. That is the same record since the All Star Game. The Dodgers took two of three games against the New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers all on the road. For those keeping score at home, the Orioles lead the American League East standings and the Rangers are in first place in the American League West.
On the strength of their hot streak, the Dodgers increased their lead in the National League West standings to four games over those annoying Arizona Diamondbacks and those surprising San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers lost to the Rangers 8-4 on Sunday and are 0-9 in Sunday games. It’s the only blemish on an otherwise impressive season so far.
The Dodgers outscored the Rangers 31-16 in the three-game series in Texas, including a 16-3 thrashing on Saturday.
Max Muncy hit a milestone grand slam in Sunday’s loss to the Rangers. It was his third grand slam of the season, tying an LA team record. It was also the 10th grand slam of the season for the Dodgers, which leads the National League.
Despite the loss, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was happy with the way his team played on the nine-game road trip.
“This road trip was a fantastic road trip. Really proud of the way we played,” Roberts told the Associated Press after Sunday’s game.
Mixed in the road trip was a concerning loss for Julio Urias. He was the starter against the Orioles on Wednesday. It was a getaway day game at Camden Yards and turned into the worst outing of the year for Urias.
He gave up eight runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings and dropped to 7-6. The Dodgers lost the game 8-5. It was the most earned runs he's given up in a start in his career.
The start of the game was also delayed 41 minutes because the grounds crew didn’t put the tarp on the infield overnight. It rained the night before the game and it took longer than expected to prepare the field for the game.
No one is accusing the Orioles of any shenanigans, but it does seem a little suspicious the Orioles created a rain delay that might or might not have messed up Urias’ preparation routine.
Regardless, the Dodgers head home with a little cushion in the standings and a lineup that is breaking records at the plate.
Dodgers starting pitcher power rankings:
- Bobby Miller
- Michael Grove
- Tony Gonsolin
- Emmet Sheehan
- Julio Urias
The Dodgers (57-41) start a nine-game homestand with a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays Monday. The Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s will also visit Dodger Stadium over the next two weeks. Grove is scheduled to start Monday’s game.
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