Dodgers Sweep Reigning Champs
Maybe it was the camouflage jerseys commemorating those who died while serving our great nation. Maybe it was the beautiful southern California sun and perfect weather at Dodger stadium. Or maybe it was the Dodgers simply exacting revenge against their new “rivals”, the Chicago Cubs, who ended their season last year in the NLCS. Whatever it was, the Dodgers were thirsty for victory this Memorial Day weekend and proved they can beat any team in the big leagues – even the reigning World Series champs.
The Dodgers blanked the Cubbies 4-0 on Friday night behind Alex Wood’s gem, earning his 6th victory and extending his scoreless inning streak to 25.1 to become the current MLB leader; however, that wasn’t enough for the hungry Boys in Blue as they once again shut out the Cubs 5-0 behind Brandon McCarthy on Saturday afternoon. Today, the ravenous Dodgers completed the sweep 9-4 despite an unusual outing from Clayton Kershaw who allowed 3 HR on 11 hits in only 4 1/3 innings.
Cody Bellinger also hit his 10th homerun of the season (a 3-run shot that gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the 2nd inning) becoming the fastest Dodger in the modern era to complete the feat in only 31 games.
One might say that the Cubs have cooled off since last October, which would be correct; however, the Dodgers are a team that should not be underestimated. Not only has this team shown that they can win games with two of their normal starters on the DL (Joc Pederson and Justin Turner) but they no longer appear to have to lean on the shoulders of Clayton Kershaw proving just how strong yet versatile they have become.
The Dodgers are now 11 games over .500 with a record of 31-20 and, though they moved into second place in the NL West behind the National League best Colorado Rockies (33-19), the Dodgers are not far behind. With 111 games left to play in the season, it would not be surprising to see the Dodgers surpass the current division leaders before the All-Star break and hold on to win their 5th consecutive division title.
BakoBoyInBlue
