Hot streaks come and go, but the long ones, and I mean the really long ones, are the ones to be remembered in the history of sports. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who struggled to get on track with their star-studded team in the beginning of season, are now one of the top tier teams in the MLB thanks to their unbelievable 53-13 stretch.
The beginning of the season was a period of time not to be remembered. The Dodgers headed into the seasons with high expectations– they were the highest salary team in the MLB. However, their on-field performance was disappointingly mediocre. Injuries and frustrations plagued the Dodgers from the start and the situation was starting to look a lot like the Los Angeles Lakers mess. Zach Greinke, starting pitcher, broke his collarbone in his second start of the season in a fight with San Diego Padres Carlos Quentin. The season seemed over for the Dodgers, it was time to pack things up and plan for the offseason. Matt Kemp sat out for a period of time due to an injury also. However, the Dodgers turned the corner on June 22.
“It feels like we’re getting healthy and getting where we should be,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said during the early stages of the hot streak in an interview with Los Angeles Times.
The Dodgers then started their world famous hot streak, trampling over any team that stood in its way. Invincible. That was the word to describe the Dodgers at the moment. Finishing off top tier teams and going undefeated for long stretches, it was the classic Hollywood story line. Not to mention this was all taking place without the Dodgers’ number one player, Kemp. The true spark, however, was underrated Cuban gemstone Yasiel Puig, who initially instigated the hot streak. With a batting average over .600 back in June, Puig, alongside Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, and the rest of the crew propelled the Dodgers into glory.
“You rattle off a streak like we’re on right now, and it’s probably a little more than luck,” Kershaw said. confidently after a win in an interview with ESPN.
During this hot streak, the Dodgers were the team to beat; and they still are to this day. Nearly breaking the winning streak for road games, the Dodgers set another milestone as it placed their team name up in the all-time rankings of best road game winning streaks. The Dodgers started from the bottom of the National League West Division but are now first place with a comfortable gap ahead of the second place Arizona Diamondbacks.
Starting off with high expectations and pummeling down into mediocrity, the Dodgers are excelling and now recognized as one of the best MLB teams. For a team that was sinking below the .500 mark, the Dodgers now look to go to the World Series which they will win. With a full and healthy roster, the Dodgers will undoubtedly be a tough match up against any team in the MLB.
