The Dodgers pitching staff still has the lowest ERA in the majors at 2.76 and has held opponents to a .213 batting average. But the Dodger offense is currently sixth best in the majors, just one point out of the top five. Having both the offense and pitching ranked that high has definitely aided to winning success.
On Monday in the opening game of a three game series against the Washington Nationals, the Dodger offense scored ten runs along with eight innings of no-run ball from lefty starter Tyler Anderson.
Having Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman at the top of the lineup seems a bit unfair, especially with them being under team control and at the forefront of the lineup for the next couple of seasons.
Betts had a slow start this season and started to raise a few eyebrows with his struggles at the plate. However, he has now put those concerns to rest. He has recorded a hit in at least six out of the last seven games. Betts now leads the team in homers with ten and is now hitting .280.
Over his last 15 games, Betts has been hitting .317 and he also leads the majors in runs scored at 42.
Freeman has been one of the more consistent hitters all throughout the year, as he leads the team in batting average at .313. He is batting .344 over the last seven games in which the Dodgers only have lost once. He also leads the team in hits and in OBP.
Other key hitters also involve Trea Turner who is on a contract year. Turner leads the Dodgers in RBI with 32, with Justin Turner in second place at 29 RBI.
The Dodgers also may be faced with difficult choices moving forward. Edwin Rios, other than Monday, has looked great in the few at-bats he’s had. Rios has belted five homers, which is tied for second best on the team, with only had 50 at bats on the season. The Dodgers have so much depth that Rios, who would be a starter on nearly every other MLB team, has garnered minimal playing time.
The Dodgers, who are 8-2 in their last ten games, will look to build on Monday night’s win. Currently, the Dodgers have the best winning percentage in the National League, but are only up a half game on the San Diego Padres who are 28-14, while the Giants have lost five straight and fell to six games behind.
The Dodgers will send Walker Buehler to the mound Tuesday; he has posted a 2.89 ERA and a 5-1 record. Buehler pitched five innings last time against Arizona, allowing two runs. He will face Washington right hander Josiah Gray.
Gray made his Major League debut last year with the Dodgers, and spent several years in the Dodger organization as a top pitching prospect. He only appeared in a Dodger uniform twice before being traded to the Nationals in the deal that brought Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to L.A.
First pitch for Tuesday is scheduled at 4:05 p.m. Pacific.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
We’ve had a bad habit of scoring very few runs in the game or games immediately after we’ve blown someone out.
Let’s hope we have enough left in our bats to take the remaining two games of this series.
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Rios has struck out 44% of his non walk plate appearances (50). While his 5 homers in so few ABs is impressive, I doubt he would be a starter on most teams. That K rate is extraordinarily high.
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Who would have believed Mookie would have more HRs than Muncy, and Freeman combined.
I hope it still isn’t true for much longer.
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Are you referring to Babe Betts?
Don’t know if you heard Joe’s comment on the broadcast, but Mookie is tied with Sosa and Johnny Mize for most 3-homer games in MLB history with 6. One more 3-homer game and he’ll hold the record on his own. And he probably has about 10 years left in his career to do it.
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