Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the midst of playing 10 consecutive games against an opponent from the National League West, which appears to be taking shape as a race with the San Diego Padres as the San Francisco Giants slip in the standings.
The Dodgers bounced back from losing two of three at Coors Field to win three games against the Padres, and now are attempting to get revenge on the Colorado Rockies.
While the Arizona Diamondbacks and Rockies both sit under .500, they are capable of playing tough against some of the top teams in the league.
Although many consider the American League East to be the toughest division in baseball, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the NL West still holds the title, via MLB Network:
“I just don’t see a division that’s better than us. You can talk about the AL East, but top to bottom, every night we’re playing within the division, it’s a tough battle to win a baseball game.”
The AL East of course is home to the New York Yankees, who are pacing MLB with a 58-22 record. The division also holds the Boston Red Sox (45-35), Toronto Blue Jays (44-37) and Tampa Bay Rays (43-37), who all own a playoff berth thus far.
As for the NL West, the Dodgers and Padres are currently on track to advance to the postseason. The Giants recently fell out of the race due to their losing skid, but remain in the hunt for a Wild Card spot as part of the expanded MLB postseason.
Dodgers trying to reclaim NL West crown
When previously discussing the outcome of the 2021 NL West race that went in favor of the Giants by one game, Roberts expressed a belief the Dodgers needed to have a different mindset due to not being the defending champion of the division.
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