Dodger Lead Just 2.5 Games, But Don’t Panic
The Dodgers should still win the West, and even if they don't they almost certainly will be the Wild Card. So relax.
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Does this man look worried?
Objects in the Dodgers rear view mirror may be closer than they appear.
At least that seems to be the sentiment of some Dodgers fans, who went to sleep with the image of Ramon Troncoso giving up a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to cost the Dodgers a game. Then they woke up and saw the Colorado Rockies just 2.5 games back of the Dodgers in the National League West. The Rockies that were once 15.5 games back. It can get a heart racing.
Relax. Take a deep breath. Things are not quite as they appear.
First, looking ahead at the Dodgers schedule, they have seven games left against the horrific Pittsburgh Pirates. That means wins.
Second, Joe Torre can tell his Dodgers about his 1996 Yankees squad that had a 12 game lead in the AL East shrink down to 2.5 games. That team held on to win the division — then went on the win the World Series.
Finally, and most importantly, the Rockies don’t really matter. Remember four teams qualify for the playoffs — one as a wild card — and it doesn’t really matter how you get to the dance, so long as you have a ticket. The last four World Series representatives from the National League did not have the league’s best record at the end of the regular season.
And it would be pretty hard for the Dodgers to fall out of the top spot in the Wild Card. Los Angeles is currently 6.5 games ahead of San Francisco (second place in the Wild Card race behind Colorado) and 8 games ahead of Florida (third place).
But, you say, “Have you seen the Dodgers play lately? They can blow that lead easy.” Well, the Dodgers are 12-8 in the last 20 games, but that is better than both Florida and San Francisco, which have 10 wins. In fact, since the All Star break, the Dodgers are basically even with the Giants (half a game back) and just three games back of the Marlins. And they are going to make up 8 games in less than a month?
The Dodgers are safe in making the playoffs, no need to panic about that. Now, what they are going to do when they get there…
