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Sitting in second place in the NL West at 59-50, the Dodgers certainly can't be accused of standing pat at the trade deadline, even though they possibly could have gotten away with it as the team improved solely on the returns of Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Mark Ellis from the disabled list. However, they felt they still needed a couple more bats, so they went out and got them in the form of Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino. In addition, they addressed a lack of bullpen depth by acquiring Randy Choate (as part of the Ramirez deal) and Brandon League. Finally, after multiple failed attempts at prying Ryan Dempster away from the Cubs, they were able to settle for Joe Blanton, who, if nothing else, is a notorious strike-thrower.
With the addition of Victorino, the Dodgers are now pretty strong at the corners (if not a little bit overrated), which more than complements the beast that roams the middle portion of the large Dodger Stadium outfield.
Kemp has played in just 57 games this season, but still leads the club in homers with 16 and a 190 OPS+. Sure, part of that can be attributed to the fact that the Dodgers lack power, but it also shows just how good this guy has been when on the field. The injured hamstring has affected his effectiveness on the basepaths, as he has stolen only three bases this year after nabbing 40 last season, but Kemp hasn't been limited in any other aspect of his game. The Dodgers have the ability, especially with Ethier (125 OPS+) back in the lineup and A.J. Ellis (131 OPS+) continuing to have a terrific season behind the plate, to make a big-time run at the NL West crown. Factor in the additions of Ramirez (100 OPS+, 15 HR) and Victorino, and they may have more than just the ability - they may be the favorites.
Of course, we all know that pitching wins championships, and the Dodgers have some of the best in the NL. That will come into play when going head-to-head with the Giants (who have equally good, if not better, pitching) and the D-Backs (who possess a lot of firepower on offense) down the stretch. Clayton Kershaw, while not as good as he was a year ago, is still one of the top lefty arms in baseball, posting a 2.88 ERA/133 ERA+ while striking out nearly four batters per every walk. Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Aaron Harang have all performed exactly to how the standards of mid-to-bottom rotation guys would dictate - all above 100 on the ERA+ scale. And, the addition of Blanton should give them an advantage in places like his home park, San Diego, and San Francisco. Blanton is a flyball pitcher; his 23 homers allowed leads the NL. However, he also constantly throws strikes, as his league-leading 6-to-1 K/BB ratio would suggest. Those peripherals indicate that he's going to work out really well in run-suppressing environments. A really solid pickup by the Dodgers there.
Remember how bad the Rockies have performed in Arizona? Well, in LA, they've been almost as bad historically; after a respectable 22-19 showing at Chavez Ravine in the 90's, the Rox have stumbled to a 36-75 record there during Dan O'Dowd's tenure. Your teams suck in Los Angeles, Dan.
Pitching probables and more after the jump...
Tonight at 8:10 PM MT (ROOT Sports)
Drew Pomeranz (1-6, 5.13 ERA) vs. Chris Capuano (10-7, 3.33 ERA)
Tomorrow at 8:10 PM MT (ROOT Sports)
Alex White (2-6, 6.16) vs. Aaron Harang (7-6, 3.76)
Wednesday at 8:10 PM MT (ROOT Sports)
Jeff Francis (3-4, 6.02) vs. Chad Billingsley (7-9, 3.74)