In a month, the Dodgers have gone from worst to first. Albeit by just 0.5 games, they made it, and with a run of 21 wins in 26 games they do not appear ready to slow down.
Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays was a complete rout. The Dodgers scored a season-high 14 runs, with 16 hits, 10 of which came with runners in scoring position.
Hyun-Jin Ryu did not have a fantastic outing with 5.1 innings pitched, nine hits, two walks and four runs allowed. That makes for back-to-back starts of fewer than six innings and at least four runs allowed, despite having an extended break of nine days off.
The Dodgers have the American League luxury of the designated hitter this series in Toronto, on Monday Andre Ethier was assigned to the task. An odd choice considering they started Skip Schumaker in right field, but with Matt Kemp's sprained ankle the Dodgers were forced to mix around the lineup once again.
The onslaught of scoring started with four runs in the second inning. A.J. Ellis hit a bomb to center field with Ethier on base, and then Mark Ellis, Carl Crawford, and Yasiel Puig strung together singles for two more runs.
The single was Puig's only hit, but also his first since the All-Star Break, an 0-10 stretch. He ended up 1-5 with a walk, RBI and two strikeouts.
The Dodgers batted around in the second, with Hanley Ramirez striking out as the first out and grounding out with bases loaded to end the inning. The hottest hitter in baseball did not let one inning slow him down, he still got on base three times in the game, scoring twice.
In four of the next seven innings the Dodgers scored at least one run, with A.J. Ellis hitting two RBI singles to bring his monstrous night to 4-6 with five RBI and three runs scored.
Carl Crawford appears to have snapped out of his post-DL funk. He went 3-5 on Monday and has seven hits in his last 11 at bats with one run and two RBI.
Skip Schumaker provided the final insurance runs in the seventh inning on a three run homer to right field, because the 11-4 lead simply needed to be added onto.
Following the Dodgers win, the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, pushing the Dodgers into first place for the first time since the second week of the season -- 9.5 games back and 12 under .500 seems so long ago, but it has only been a month, told you the Dodgers could put this run together!
On Tuesday the dodgers send Chris Capuano to the mound, and as they look to extend their first-place lead, but all it takes is a loss and a Diamondback win against the lowly Cubs to fall back, ever so slightly, into second place.
Tweets From #Dodgers Nation
The enthusiasm of Hyun-Jin Ryu's fan base was noted by many Toronto fans
Every Canadian-Korean flew to Toronto today just to watch Ryu pitch #dodgers #loudcheers — Aldo Gordian (@himynameisaldo) July 23, 2013
We're slap bang in the middle of the Ryu fan club! This'll be fun! #BlueJays #Dodgers — Alex (@Spookylish) July 22, 2013
Imagine if Drake was paid a dollar every time a sports fan tweeted this. The song would have gone platinum last night alone.
STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM NOW WE HERE #DODGERS #1stplace #thinkblue — lunchbox (@slowiijoey) July 23, 2013
Started from the bottom now we're here #Dodgers #thinkblue pic.twitter.com/IYPX9F22BL — Sammi_Sam (@SamPerez124) July 23, 2013
Magic, we love you and all, but please, stop insulting us with these awful tweets.
Dodger Nation: Carl Crawford has had multiple games with hits since coming back from the injury. — Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 23, 2013
