The Los Angeles Dodgers embarked on a three-day trip to the city of Atlanta with a clear enough objective: to beat the Braves at home as a ticket to the top of the National League. They were victorious in two of the games, managing to raise their season mark to 31-20.
As on this occasion, being in positions of dominance has been a habit of Californians in recent times.
They have promoted a hegemony that in the previous ten seasons led them to the postseason, a streak that does not seem to diminish in the medium term and symbolizes the longest run for the club.
They continue to take every step to maintain the winning formula, even as they report casualties such as losing shortstop Trea Turner to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency.
And then, in the middle of the spring fields, Gavin Lux suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the entire season, even as he was called to take position six.
During the previous ten contests, the Dodgers have clinched the Western Division title nine times. They seek to expand this, despite having opponents like the San Diego Padres – who with an estimated payroll of US$250 million – are willing to provoke a coup.
Even suffering the loss of vital members, the franchise remains armored in every section of the game.
With the ability to produce offense being the flash point, Dave Roberts’ team has the fifth-highest collective OPS in all of Major League Baseball (.777).
This can be possible with the most difficult conjugation between hitters: obtaining power with remarkable discipline at the plate.
The lineup is converting 41.9 percent of balls hit on drives with exit velocity over 95 mph, eighth-best in the circuit. And before achieving this success, they barely swing outside the zone, just over 23 per 100 attempts.
Pitchers have been a big supporter of the hitter, who have been holding opposing ninths to a .239 batting average, followed by posting a 15.1% strikeout-to-walk differential.
They don’t have super speed when they’re 19th at 93.9 mph on the fastball; They also don’t consistently pass bats while they have the eighth-worst strikeout rate (24.6%), but they do induce harmless contacts as 42.6 end up as ground balls.
The worst part within the gear is in the defense, a section that carries the misfortune of subtracting eight runs and three outs above average.
Each factor makes the Dodgers the owners of the most wins in the “Old Circuit.” Starting this Friday, they begin a journey to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, to face the best team in baseball side by side in the first two months.
When will the decline begin in a decade full of successes? It doesn’t seem to be close.