PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the midst of a stretch that most big-league clubs can only dream about, winners of six straight games, 20 of 25 since the All-Star break and 30 of 40 since late June.
Certainly, that should be enough to take control of the NL West. Right?
Not even close.
The NL West is home to three of the hottest teams in baseball, including the Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. As pennant races around baseball heat up with approximately 40 games remaining, the one out west looks like the best with sluggers like Shohei Ohtani, Manny Machado and Ketel Marte duking it out on a nightly basis.
“We’re very aware of it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his team’s shrinking lead last week. “I’d be lying if I said no one’s watching the scoreboard and appreciating how good the rest of the teams in our division are playing.
“That just puts the onus on us to play good baseball.”
The Dodgers — who have won the division in 10 of the past 11 years — looked well on their way to another division title by mid-June. They have arguably the best lineup in baseball with Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and Tyler Glasnow leads a rotation that is solid.
But Betts missed 1 1/2 months with a broken left hand and the Dodgers weren't quite the same in his absence. That gave the D-backs and Padres the opening they need to make a move.
And move they did. The Padres and the D-backs have been on fire since the All-Star break — San Diego has a 19-4 record and Arizona is 20-5. The Dodgers aren't playing poorly with a 15-9 record during that span, but they're struggling to hold their division lead.
The Padres (69-53) and D-backs (69-53) were just two games behind the Dodgers (71-51) on Thursday.
Buckle up.
“It’s fun to be a part of, a lot of hard work goes into it,” D-backs slugger Joc Pederson said of his team’s success. “Everybody comes to the field every day prepared to do their thing to help the team win. It’s a powerful thing when you’ve got all the guys pulling on the same string.”
The Dodgers are still loaded with talent. Betts has returned from his injury with a flourish, injecting the lineup with his power-speed combo. Los Angeles added right-hander Jack Flaherty in a trade and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is back, joining Glasnow and Gavin Stone in the rotation.
“I think the biggest thing for us is we’re getting some guys back," Kershaw said. "We’re getting our lineup the way we want it. We’re getting some guys — starter-wise, reliever-wise, everything — we’re having our team look like what we want our team to look like.
"I think you’ll see us kind of start to take off here pretty soon.”
They better, because the Padres and D-backs are in hot pursuit.
The Padres have been one of the most frustrating teams in baseball the past few seasons, loaded with high-priced talent often without the matching results. But this version has been formidable.
Jurickson Profar is having a career year and All-Star rookie Jackson Merrill continues to play great, joining veterans like Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and David Peralta in the lineup. Right-hander Joe Musgrove looked good in his recent return, helping a rotation that includes Dylan Cease, Michael King and the recently acquired Martín Pérez.
“I am going to give it everything I have as long as they will to allow me to hold the ball out there,” Musgrove said. “Me being healthy down the stretch is a big part of this team.”
Then there's the D-backs. The darlings of last year's postseason following a surprise trip to the World Series, they got off to a slow start this season with a 39-43 record on June 29. They're 30-10 since that point, boasting one of MLB's top offenses and a starting rotation that's getting healthy.
Marte is having an MVP-caliber season while others like Jake McCarthy have produced. NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is also playing better after a brutal start to the year. Recent additions, including first baseman Josh Bell and reliever A.J. Puk, have played well and even rookies like Adrian Del Castillo are contributing big moments.
Three hot teams. One division title up for grabs.
Six weeks of baseball remaining.
“I love where this team's at,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "I don't want to get too far ahead of things. We try to stay present. Try to stay humble. We go out there to do our best every day and go 1-0.
“We're a really good baseball team. And when we do things right, we can get on this type of run.”
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By DAVID BRANDT (AP Baseball Writer)
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